The 100th Hunger Games
by Peace.Love.Summer-rain
Summary: This is the hundredth hunger games, katniss's rebellion never happened and neither did Catching Fire! Enjoy and R&R please! Rated T cos I'm paranoid!
1. Chapter 1

**The 100****th**** Hunger Games.**

Hello people! This is my First Fanfic, so please be generous! I am looking for tributes from district 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12! I will be making up the other tributes! Who knows, your character could win the hunger games! I will try to update once or twice a week, and below are the tributes from 4, 8 and 9:

District 4- Cote Perrette and Michael Harmon

8- Mark Weatherly and Paulette DePablo

9- Victoria Ellis and Grant Mitchen

I would prefer it if you could write what the character looked like, if they are a career, etc etc, but no need to write about their costumes because I'm going to skip that part 'cos its boring, reapings, then trainings, then the games begin! If, by the end of the week there are still gaps, I will make more characters! You are allowed to submit as many characters as you want! Press that button below this, you know you want to!


	2. The List so far

HI AGAIN! I know i said id update later, but I'm just letting you know who's in so far. This ISNT definite, so if i find someone from the same district, same gender, I will either swap districts round or bump you off my list! Jokes, I'm kidding! Just a reminder, no districts that I've already chosen! Sorry to Nice Career for moving you tributes, but at least they got in eh? I thought that Reizvolle could do better in 7, because then people would overlook her and all. Come on people! District 10 & 11 aren't THAT bad, make some more tributes!

District 1 M- F- Fairy LaBone

2 M- F- Jade Ransel

3 M- F-Rosemary Grey

4 M Michael Harmon F Cote Perrette

5 M Jonathan Clairvall F Elise Clairvall

6 M: Raff Reeman F Marionette Winsome

7 M: Bower Rivil F Reizvolle Krankenschwester

8 M Mark Weatherly F Pauley DePable

9 M Grant Mitchen F Victoria Ellis

10 M F

11 M F

12 M F Anna Pepperman

This year's **special **Quarter Quell surprise is.... (Cue Drum roll)..... That there will be two cornucopia's, therefore **double** as many supplies, but that's not all, **both cornucopia's will be hidden!**

A/N Go on, review pleeeeeeeeeease? For me?


	3. final list

FINAL LIST **I've decided I'm sick of waiting so I'm going to post this with my own extra characters! Hope you enjoy the chapters to come, if you dont then either stop reding HERE or deal with it!**

1 M- Miracle Bennesis age 18 F- Fairy LaBone age 16

2 M-Coby Ribster 18 F- Jade Ransel age 18

3 M- Mickey Algeraz age 14 F-Rosemary Grey age 17

4 M Michael Harmon age 17 F Cote Perrette age 18

5 M Jonathan Clairvall age 16 F Elise Clairvall age 13

6 M: Raff Reeman age 18 F Marionette Winsome age 14

7 M: Bower Rivil age 14 F Reizvolle Krankenschwester age 17

8 M Mark Weatherly age 15 F Pauley DePablo age 18

9 M Grant Mitchell age 14 F Victoria Ellis age 13

10 M Rathford Burmia age 15 F Genie Wiskunde age 16

11 M Sello Vaughn age 12 F Jasmine Lisaman age- 15

12 M Robert 'Red' Leerman age- 17 F Anna Pepperman age 12


	4. the first reaping

**District one.**

**Fairy LaBone's POV**

I look at my surroundings. The district square has been dressed up for the reapings, and President Malak's grinning face stares down at us. His nickname from district One is President Malice.

The camera crew is sitting on the roof of the buildings and the stage. I go to sand by the other 16 year olds and wink reassuringly to my little sister, Tiara. She's the reason I'm going to win, because surely, without me healing her when she falls too ill, she'll die. She's the only one that can draw a wink or a smile out of me. She looks so small, on her crutches, standing in the twelves area. Poor Tiara's so sickly if she got reaped she would defiantly die. She's been sick since she was born, but she earns her keep in our house by being so smart – she solves all our financial problems, but she'll never be well enough to fight. But I don't need to worry about her, because even if she did get chosen, I would volunteer for her. In fact, I'm going to volunteer anyway. The girl who's supposed to volunteer, Cleo, is so slow and dumb that I'll defiantly be able to volunteer before her. In district one, its whoever gets on stage first is the tribute, and I'm easily the faster runner.

The mayor finishes his speech, and our escort, Sunday Rose, comes up with black hair down to her butt. It's curled in ringlets, though, so it's probably a lot longer than that.

"And now for the girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrls! Ladies first I always say!" she's so stupid, with her stupid accent and the stupid way she rolls her R's then spits them out like the pips in a cherry. "Carrie Winchester," She doesn't even have time to roll her R because I'm already up the steps, and Cleo hasn't even blinked.

"I volunteer!" I say primly, and I can tell Sunday's looking at me sceptically, with my slight frame, albino skin and hair and my rainbow-like eyes. It's the Capitol that has provided the bleach to change my hair, and the colour for my eyes.

"Welcome, to miss, -"

I cut her off before she can ask my name.

"Fairy. Fairy LaBone"

"Well Welcome to miss fairrrrrrrrrry LaBone!"

I feel like punching her in the face! Stupid accent. As I'm thinking this I realise she has just read out the boys' name. I think it's some wimp from the better part of district One.

"I volunteer."

I jump, because I didn't realise the volunteer was already on stage. The boys name is Miracle. I don't know his last name – maybe Genesis? Some bible name like that. He's tall, with white hair but dark brown eyes, and _lots_ of muscle. He literally does make me feel like a fairy – one of those garden ones you see in children's tales. But I'm not intimidated, he's all brawn no brain.

He once killed a boy at training, he got so carried away. No one said anything, I think because they're scared of him. He's a total idiot though, and couldn't add 2+2 if his life depended on it.

He's so enthusiastic, when he shakes Sunday's hand, she's practically thrown off the stage when he lets go. When he shakes my hand I have to exert myself to stay still. He might be dumb, but it would be fatal to underestimate him. I smirk at him, then wave to the audience, and the camera's. I have only just noticed that Cleo is giving me the death glare. Oh well.

Next time I see her I will be a victor... Or dead.

**Miracle Benises' POV**

I'm sitting in the peace building, waiting for the peacekeepers to take me to my room, where I can see my friends and family. I have neither. Michaela might visit me, 'cos she's my sister and all, but I doubt it. That girl, Pixie or Fairy or whatever, is so tiny it looks like I could crush her with my foot. She's obviously stronger than she looks though, because she doesn't even move when I shake her so hard... I shook Sunday Rose's hand half as hard and she went flying.

I won't underestimate her.

The Peace keepers arrive, and lead Fairy and me in different directions. I look at her one last time, and I catch her mouth the word _"Allies?" _ To me. I give my head a small nod in response, and she smirks, her eyes as cold as ice. I almost smile back, then catch myself. I can't grow attached to this ice fairy, because in a few weeks, once the alliance is over, I will be fighting hard to kill her.


	5. distict two

**These are the reapings for District two, enjoy!**

**Coby Ribsters' POV**

I brace myself for the reapings; even though district two has an organised system of reaping, someone might try to steal my game. It's my last year, so nobody can steal my game. I put on a crooked smile, and get ready to volunteer. It turns out there's no need – Elanora, the escort, is doing the girls first.

"Ummm, let's see, the girl tribute is...."

Umm let's see, shut up! I want to yell at her. I wish she'd just get on with it.

"Emma Keech! She calls out, but a girl I know, Jade, has already stepped forward. "I volunteer" She calls, in a light, musical voice. When I see her, I practically start to drool. She's SO fit. Long, golden brown legs that are utterly confident in 3 inch black heels, a short miniskirt, smokin' body, and a cute little button nose, full lips and Greyish eyes, framed by eyelashes that must break some sort of world record. She's athletic; she looks the sort that you'd see in district 4, playing beach volleyball by the sea, but also the type to be in district one buying luxury items with her boyfriend's money. To high maintenance for my liking. She doesn't look like she'd hurt a fly, but I've seen her in the training centre, she's lethal. Bloody lethal.

She steps up, and I realise Elanora has already called the boys name, and he's striding to the stage.

He's only fifteen, I think, but you can tell he's eager to get in the games, and he thinks I've forgotten to volunteer. Not likely. Jade may have distracted me, but this is my last year, and no fit girls ever going to change the fact that I'm going in the games.

"I volunteer!" I call out, and the boy is glaring at me. I paste on a crooked smile and wink at Jade, who smiles at me. My heart skips a beat. She's bloody lethal.

**Jade Ransel's POV**

The boy who goes up, Coby, I think his name is, winks at me. I smirk at him, and we shake hands. I apply a light pressure to my handshake and smile flirtatiously at him. He's cute, and it will be good to have a tribute that won't stab me in the back if we're the last ones there – and he won't stab me in the back if I 'love' him. I can practically see _my_ knife sticking in his back. Yes, it will be good to have as many boys as possible lapping at my feet in the arena. He says, "_Allies?" _to me in a hushed voice, and I nod slightly. I walk in front of him as we go to the justice building, and make sure to wiggle my butt. I can practically _feel_ his lust, radiating off him like electricity. I can't blame him.

In the justice building I curl up close to him, being subtle, but not too subtle, if you know what I mean. I stop thinking about Coby and started thinking about strategy. It was most likely that the gamemakers didn't have my secret weapon, so I'd have to make it... Out of quite a few pieces of strong rope with a mace tied to the end... yes.. That would do quite nicely. I can't wait to get the first ever 12 training score ever. I snap back to attention when Coby gets up, and I follow suit. The peacekeepers lead us to separate rooms, and my father, Tanzanite visits me first.

"Now," He clears his throat. He was the victor of the 71st hunger games, but he is _old_ now and won't be mentoring me. "Your biggest strength is agility and you smarts, sure, your weapons training is handy, but see, how many dumb careers have ever won the hunger games?" I think back, as long as I can remember... No-one. " No-one," I say and he nods conformingly, just as the peacekeepers take him away.

He's right, my weapons will help, especially my secret weapon, but my smarts will do me more good than knives and mace's ever will.


	6. District 3 & 4

**Here is district 3 and 4. I know I'm rushing this... but I want to get to the training and the actual games!!!**

**District 3!**

**Rosemary Grey's POV**

I shudder. The reapings. I have trained, of course, but I'm not going to volunteer, because the games are sick. But I train just in case.

I know that with my age, and the amount of tesserae I'm taking, the odds are _not _in my favour today. I know I will go in. By this stage I already have over 50 little slips of paper in that glass, to feed my overly large family. My two older brothers, Mark and Jamie, are both 23 year old identical twins. They taught me everything I know, including my humour. I'll display some of my brilliant wit when I'm not so stressed. I run my hand through my bright red hair, a habit I have always had. What will I do is Grace, my oldest sister apart from me, who is only 13 years old is chosen? She only had one tessera, but she could still be chosen. She would surely die in the bloodbath.

Our escort, Jarrod, walks up to the stage and flashes his white teeth, and I look away to save my eyes from burning up.

"Ladeeth Firth!" He says with a horrible lisp. Whoever put an "S" in the word "Lisp" was too cruel. Though me and my friends are always joke about Jarrod having a 'lithp'.

Hang on, some-ones nudging me, I wonder why?

"Er, Mith Rothemary Grey... Are you here? Rothemary Grey?" I look around for the poor child who got reaped this year – then realise that Rosemary Grey is _my _name. I get nudged again, and then jolt to my senses.

I walk stiffly forward, and take my place on the stage. In the background, I hear Grace wailing, but don't register it. No-one volunteers- no surprise there – and I shake Jarrod's hand. It's creased and papery, like an old man's hand. I am numb to the world for the rest of the day, but am enough myself to smile warmly at the poor 12 year old boy that get's chosen – you wouldn't know he's 12, he looks about 8, he's so helpless looking. He starts crying when he gets chosen. Poor boy.

**Mickey Algeraz POV**

I don't get it; Jarrod's called the name of a girl called Rosemary, Rosemary Grey. No one comes forward. Suddenly, a girl with a shock of red hair and blue eyes comes forward, looking shocked. She's quite pretty, about 5 years older than me. She looks numb at first, but then tries to look bored – she's a bad actor though, and who I take to be her sister is wailing like a banshee.

"Mickey Algeraz?" Jarrod calls, and I realise that's me. Not me! This is my first year! I only have one tesserae! I can't go into the games... I can't. I'm too fat, my glasses will fall off, I'm a slow runner, and I'll die in the bloodbath! Oh my gosh, I'm going to die! Barely holding back tears, I walk to the stage and shake Rosemary's hand. She is about 30-40 centimetres taller than me, because I'm quite short. She gives me the reassuring squeeze that I would give a friend in need, and a kind smile. This sets me off and I start crying, bawling my eyes out.

I'm going to die! I'm crying terribly now, but I do it silently. I cry a lot, and I have learnt how to cry silently. I might stand a chance – the cornucopias are going to be hidden this year, so if I find it first, I might be able to survive, with supplies.

Well, I have myself a strategy, but now what? The careers will find some way of killing us off without supplies, so I'll have to improve my fitness, and try out some weapons. I keep crying, though, because even with this plan I have only a small chance.

**District four!**

**Michael Harmon's POV**

I line up with the other 17 year olds, and stare straight ahead, looking bored (I hope) My usual short brown hair has grown longer than usual and is getting in my way. I impatiently shake it out of eyes, and examine my huge arm muscles. This year is my year to volunteer, and even though I detest the hunger games, I will kill, and probably get into the final 8, I won't win. I won't try. I don't want to try. The hunger games are wrong, and I will not let them change me. But I can't lose face, and look like a weakling in front of the others. My muscles are mainly for show, because I don't train too much, and I got them from working at the docks. Sure, I can wield a knife and a mace, and shoot straight, but the real question is... Do I _want_ to? My dad will probably kill me if I don't volunteer this year, but I will die in the hunger games anyway, so which is better? Be murdered by my own father at worst, disowned at best, or get killed in the hunger games? I don't have time to volunteer, because our escort has called out some boy's name. Blindly, I call out, "I volunteer!" and stumble up to the stage.

Our escort, a woman named Jocelyn, always calls out the boys' names first, just to be different. I take my place in stage, wondering why I ever even thought about rebelling against my parents – despite everything, I love them too much to disappoint them.

I'm weak, not physically, but mentally, and I couldn't do it even if I hated my dad. Oh well.

I don't know the girl that gets called up, but her name, according to Jocelyn she is called "Coat Perray" or something like that. She hisses at him that it is pronounced Coatey Perrette, though I think its spelt 'Cote'.

Cote Perrette's POV

Ugh, our stupid escort pronounces my name like I'm a Coat, for goodness' sake! I hiss at her that it's pronounced Coatey, but then regain myself. If I want to win these games, everyone has to like me so I can later shoot them. I'm terrible at hand-to-hand combat, but I have excellent aim. It's a real piece of luck that my name got called, because I was going to volunteer anyway. I shake my black hair impatiently, glad that I'm wearing it in pigtails, out of my face. Pigtails make anyone look at you like you're harmless.

Some dweeb, his name is Michael, I think, is already on stage, and is holding out his hand for me to shake it. I do, and smile at him. Not in a seducing way, but a way that makes you think we're old friends, even though we have just met. He smile's back, but I ignore that. I've got to be friendly, but this boy is just another kid I have to kill.

Michael Harmon's POV

Even though on the outside, Cote looks friendly, her eyes are that of a snake – clever, and ruthless. Not too clever though, clever people are better actors. Cote's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes.


	7. District 5&6

**Here is district 5 & 6, please R&R, it isn't very rewarding to write something, and then have people not even acknowledge it. Thank you to Penelope Wendy Bing and Nice career, but to the rest of you all I can say is D:****!**

**District 5, Elise Clairvall's POV**

This year is my second year of the reapings, and I so do not want to go. Last year, my best friend, Nicole, got chosen, and I had to watch her die in the bloodbath. She had six tesserae, to feed all of her little brothers and sisters. Only six tesserae! I only have two little slips of paper with my name on them this year, one for last year and one for this year. Which one of my friends might get picked this year? What if my _brother_ gets picked! What will I do then? He has a lot of tesserae, for a sixteen year old, because he will not let me take any.

"Hello district 5!" Says our escort, Jaq, in a chirpy voice. She's new this year; she got bumped up from district 6. No wonder she's happy, district six hasn't won in over forty years, but our district won only five years ago. The only reason she got bumped up is because district one's escort retired, and so everyone got pushed up a spot. I say the word 'retired' loosely, because there is a rumour going on that one's escort got shot because she said something about the capitol. Then again, I'm not sure how true that rumour is.

"And might I say again, how wonderful it is to be escorting this lovely district. Thank you for having me!" She just jabbers on, doesn't she? "Ladies first, of course!" She takes a slip of paper and unfolds it with her perfectly manicured hand. "And the girl tribute for district 5 is.... Elise Clairvall!" I'm shocked. That sounds corny and non-descriptive, so how about some other words to describe how I'm feeling. Shocked. Surprised. Stunned. Dazed. Shaken. I guess you could even say I'm gob-smacked.

I don't care what you call it, it's what I am!

I make my way up to the stage, and keep my head down. I don't want to see my brother's appalled face, looking up at me, or my parents downcast eyes, or even my little siblings confused faces.

Jaq seems disappointed that there are no volunteers, so she gets on with it. Five minutes ago, I was wishing she's get it over with, but now I'm just wanting time to go back to before I was picked. But that's not the thing that leaves me numb for the rest of the day. The thing that does? Well could it be the fact that my brother volunteered?

**Jonathon Clairvall's POV:  
**I can't believe it, one minute I was thinking about how Sarah had just dumped me, on the reaping day to boot, and the next minute I see my little sister quivering up on stage! Didn't I do everything to stop her going in? I took all the tesserae, though I suppose that's all I could have done. I can't believe it! She's only thirteen!

"Isn't that just lovely? Anyway, the show must go on, so our boy tribute is.... Sam Daniel!" Jaq keeps on going, saying something about it is an honour and all, and I know what I have to do. I know this boy, Sam Daniel, but not very well. He's a jokester, that I do know, and he always jokes about how cruel his parents are for calling him 'Samuel Daniel'. It doesn't matter.

I know what I must do to save my sister, to give her the slightest chance of coming home. Somebody must protect her. Jaq will be happy, won't she? I must do this. I steel myself, and call out the two words that will be my death sentence.

"I volunteer!"

**District 6, Raff Reeman's POV**

This is my year, my last year! Im 18 this year, so this is my last year. I'm going to volunteer, and get away from having to be a scientist.** (A/N I was told that 6 is the scientific research district, so if it's not, oh well; my way or the highway! ;) ) **I'm too dumb to be a scientest; i'm pretty smart at plants and weapons and I have a lot of muscle, but I just don't get math and science!!! So, the easy way I figure, is to volunteer, win, and never have to work! Or die trying. Won't Jaq be happy? The first volunteer in like, eighty years? She'll be over the moon!

For some reason, a man I have never seen before walks on to the stage. "Hello and welcome to the reapings! I'm Dew, and I'm your escort for this year and many years to come! Ladies first, of course! Who says chivalry is dead!" A few people titter, but most just roll there eyes at that weak joke. Pity that we have a new escort, I was almost starting to like Jaq. Almost.

And what kind of name is Dew anyway?

"The Girl tribute is... Marionette Winsome!" His voice is like a crecsendo, starting quite quiet and getting almost unbearably loud. A short girl with blond hair in ringlets and heavy black glasses walks up, looking bored. She doesnt look like she could be any more than twelve from her height, but you can see from her eyes that she is older, perhaps 14 or 15?. It doesn't matter whatever age she is.

I let my mind wander. I do hope the careers will take me, because a few years ago they let someone in from district 8, so why not me?

Our only living victor, Archer (He won by shooting with a bow and arrow, no kidding), looks pained to see a child so small go up. Won't he be pleased to see a volunteer?

Dew pushes his hand deep into what I can only describe as a fishbowl, and roots around the very bottom. "Raff Reeman?" He calls, again in a quiet voice. I'm about to call out 'I volunteer', but then realise that my name was called anyway. Wouldn't that be hiarious? The first ever tribute to volunteer... For himself!

I push my way up to the stage, and try to look as menacing as possible, glaring at the audience and cameras.

"well, hello Raff! And may the to tributes shake hands, and have a very lucky Hunger Games!"

**Marionette Winsome's POV**

I don't get it, whats he playing at? This boy, Raff, I've seen at school. He's a year 12, and I'm only in year 9, but it's definatly him. We call him (me and my friends) Greasey Guy, because his black shaggy hair is always really greasy! But he's really nice, and when I dropped my books in the hall he helped them up and even smiled at me... Why does he look so mad? Is he angry that he got picked? Is that why?We are sitting in the Justice Building now, and I'm waiting for the peacekeeperes to take us to our rooms. I sit as far away from Raff as I can, because I'm scared. Of him. It's weird. because I know he's got a girlfriend and a little sister. Well, _had_ a little sister, I heard she died in a lab accident a few months ago. I think he's a quite nice guy, but _gosh _his arms are big!

* * *

The peacekeepers lead us into seperate rooms, and almost immedietly my little brother Max comes up and hugs me. He's only five, he doesn't deserve to see me die.

"Promise me you'll come back Mary?" He whimpers, burying his head against my chest. I don't know what to say. Actualyy, I do. "Of course I'll come back doc,"

"But whoever goes away never comes back!"

"I will" I promise.

I mean it.


	8. District7&8

**Here are district 7&8 reapings! Enjoy! If you read it, review it!!! He he, I can't wait to get these pesky reapings behind us. **

**District 7, Bower Rivil's POV**

I line up with the other 14 year olds, which is pretty close to the front, only the little 12 and 13 year olds are in front of me. I wonder which kid will be called up. Another set of 12 year olds, just like last year? Poor kids. One of them was my girlfriend, Grace's little sister. That's just the way it works – Everyone who goes up knows every other kid in the audience somehow. The boy from last year went to my primary school. I wish our district was more like 11-not in wealth or stuff like that, because we are better off, (not by much), but in size. That way if someone went up, the odds are you won't know them.

Mella, our new escort, comes to the stage. I'm not sure if our escort is a boy or girl – it has shortish dark blue hair and black lipstick, with lots and lots of makeup. Normally this description would fit a girl more, but there is something boyish about her – you can't even tell by the way she/he speaks, because the capitol accent is too affected.

"Now for the boys! I think this year we have a great chance already, I can just feel it in my bones!" I jolt out of my reverie, and realise that a cool looking girl, about eighteen, is already standing on stage. Her name is Reizvolle, or something else terrifically difficult to pronounce. She has midnight black hair and deep blue eyes. She is tiny, and it's a pity she won't last too long. She goes to my school, and my older brother is dating her, I think.

"Bower Rivil!" This time I'm on the ball, and walk steadily up to the stage – if I appear weak or clumsy then I'll get no spons-

**Reizvolle Krankenschwester's POV. Sorry to nice career for changing her brother's name, but Zane and Zed sounded weird,**

Ugh, Bower is a total idiot! He tripped over the camera wire, and now he is unconscious. Great. Bower is my boyfriends little brother, and I wonder if he will volunteer – probably not, he hardly even talks about Bower, let alone love him.

Stupid kid, now district 7 is the laughing stock of Panem – I can practically hear the laughter. The peacekeepers are taking him away on a stretcher, and a few kids in the audience are starting to snicker. I do to – it is better to keep control than to seem shocked by my district partners – um – lack of coordination.

***

Veronica and Clover, my younger sisters come in to see me first – I have such a big family and the peacekeepers only let two people come in at a time. Clover, who is seven, is too young to really understand what's going on, but she is crying anyway, probably because Veronica is. They are attached at the hip, and I'm so glad that Veronica isn't going in, because it would crush poor Clover.

"Promise you'll come back? Promise?" whimpers Clover. Huh. Maybe she does get what is going on.

"Um, I guess..."

"Promise!" Clovers ferocity scares me a little – she is normally so sweet tempered.

"Promise." I confirm, even though I know I won't stand a chance.

Veronica comes up and hugs me, crying, and only manages to say 'I love you...' before the peacekeepers take them away. I calmly watch as they go, and only when the door slams shut do I realise that is probably the last time I will ever see them. I lunge at the door and shriek at them to come back, only to be hit in the head by the door when someone else comes in.

It's my older brothers; Shane and Zed. They are both too old for the reapings, Shane is twenty three and Zed is nineteen.

"Whoa there, you don't want to be doing a Bower there Reezy!" Zed jokes, using my old nickname from when I was little. Even though Zed is only a year older than me, he is much taller and still treats me like a kid.

"A Bower?" I ask, not sure what that means, though I've heard the name before....

"You know, that boy that got reaped, and fell over on his head and is _still _unconscious!"

"Still unconscious?" I mock-gasp "Is he even going to be awake for the Games?" See, even my surly attitude can be humorous... to a point.

***

I'm sitting on the tribute train with Bower, who has just woken up. He seems a bit... delirious.

**Bower Rivil's POV**

What the hell... what happened? I know I'm on the tribute train, I've seen it enough times. I sit up, but immediately lie back down again – my head feels so weird. I close my eyes.

Well, okay maybe ... I only saw .. the train ... only twice, but still, it's ... enough to recognise... it's the only thing in our grey, drab district .... has any colour.

Did my name get called out? I can't remember... why memory is... ... fuzzy... can't think.... The last.... remember is getting.... best suit for the reapings... I'm ... tired.... I ... might go ... sleep... tired.....

**District eight, Pauley DePablo's POV**

I stand with the other eighteen year olds, wishing that my fiancé's here. But no, he is nineteen, and is in the audience somewhere, but I can't see him. I pat my stomach protectively, hoping that I don't get chosen – that would be bad. Not only would Mitch, my fiancé lose an almost-wife, but also a child. That's right, I'm pregnant. Zoe if it's a girl, Jack if it's a boy. Our new escort, Estela, who used to be from district nine, comes up after Mayor Mapleton finishes his speech.  
"I am _honoured _to be hosting such a unique and wonderful district," She says, groping for words to describe our damp district. It always rains here, and even though it's freezing cold, it's not raining... yet. Though I guess she is at a loss for words because everything here is brown and soggy, but you just can't say that in a speech.

"Ladies first! May the odds be ever in your favour... The female tribute for district eight is... Pauley DePablo!" I start, and resist the urge to faint. I shake my bright red hair in front of me face so nobody can see my face, read my expression, or see my tears. I look out into the audience, and see Mitch. He's crying, and I bet he knows that I will not survive these weeks to come. The only thing that could be worse is if someone I know got chosen, or it started raining.

"And the boy tribute is... Mark Weatherly!" Okay, that's someone I know. I know him _very _well. He's going to be my brother in law as soon as I get married.

**Mark Weatherly's POV**

Shit!

My almost-sister-in-law, Pauley, has been chosen! I feel like crying, even though we aren't that close compared to, say, her and Mitch, who's my brother is to her, but you know, we're _close enough_. Great. Now I'm fighting hard to survive-and that means I'm fighting hard to kill Pauley. She lets her red hair fall in front of her face, but I can tell she's crying. I look away, embarrassed, but there is nowhere else to look. When I shake her hand, like we're meant too, it's so limp that it feels like I'm shaking a piece of rubber or something.

I start to think strategy. I know that's horrible of me, but no matter what happens, District eight is going to have a victor.

I hug my jumper closer to me, 'cos it's _really _cold, and my jumpers really threadbare. I suppose I stand a chance, because I'm pretty strong, and with my straight ashy blond hair and blue eyes that is fairly common in district one, I'll have no problem pulling willing female sponsors.

The weather used to be alright, because the Hunger Games used to be in Summer, but because of the 95th Hunger Games, which lasted months, (there was a lot of food that year, and the Capitol ended up killing off about 20 of the tributes that year because they just wouldn't kill each other), the Hunger Games has been in Winter. There won't be that problem this year though, because if the Cornucopia's hidden, then most of us have a good chance of starving.

As if this day couldn't get any worse, A huge crack of thunder goes off, and it starts raining, soaking me to the bone in seconds.


	9. The last reapings! YAY!

**I've decided to get all of this over with in one blow, so it's going to be a long chapter of district 9, 10, 11 and 12!**

**BTW, how dare you, Nice Career, for saying Pauley is a guy's name! HOW DARE YE! Pauley is short for Pauline! And also, kudos to you, Emmy, you are one smart cookie for figuring it out! I was starting to think nobody would. :)**

**Hmph. All of you people made your tributes to damn pretty, so I had to make my own tributes look ugly, just for some balance. :( ........**

'**I promise to remember Rue**

**When mockingbirds' songs wake me**

**I'll think of Foxface every time**

**I eat a strange new berry**

**If my sister pets a goat**

**I promise to think of Prim**

**And if my best friend acts depressed**

**Then Gale; I'll think of him**

**When I toss some wood in the fire**

**I'll think of Katniss every time**

**And I'll always think of Peeta**

**When my birthday cake's sublime**

**The Capitol will cross my mind**

**When someone is unfair**

**I'll be sure to think of Clove**

**Each time I**_** pretend **_**to care**

**I'll always think of Glimmer**

**If someone's pretty, but a dunce**

**And Thresh will occupy my mind**

**If I spare someone, something... Once**

**Whenever I watch a reality show**

**I will think of the Hunger Games**

**I'll always picture Haymitch**

**Whenever someone calls me names**

**I swear to think of Cato**

**When homicidally inclined**

**I'll make sure I think of Effie**

**When there's nothing on my mind**

**Yes, I swear to remember the Hunger Games**

**And Catching Fire too**

**It's important to honour the deaths (which are many)**

**But they're NOT mine, so, Collins, don't sue!'**

_**-Claratrix LeChatham**_

**Victoria Ellis' POV**

The rough velvet of my dress is rubbing in the wrong direction against my skin. It's so annoying! I wish I could still fit into my dress from last year, but well, I have grown a lot since I was 16, and now I'm quite tall. It's not like weight is the issue, but I am tall like my mother. It's a pity, because the shorter you are, the less you need to eat.

The dress I wore last year was a soft gold colour from the dressmakers. It could keep our family in food for weeks, but my mum refuses to sell it. My little sister, Jessica, is wearing it now. Even though Jess is only a few hours younger than me, she is shorter than me, and there is no way in hell we are identical – she is by far more beautiful than me! I have small eyes, and a huge crooked nose, and _lots_ of acne.

My dress is a bright ugly red that rubs like sandpaper. Oh well, time to go... I guess. I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

***

"And so that is why The Hunger Games was chosen, to keep the districts complacent and orderly under the Capitol's rule. And it has worked, for the 12 districts that have competed in these Games for a century now have never seen fit to rebel again! It is both a time for repentance, and a time for thanks."

The Mayor finishes his speech.

Pah. I can see even the mayor thinks this is bull, because as he says the last bit, he makes a face.

"Now to welcome our latest escort, Javari!"

"And thank _you _Mayor Shepherdson! It's such a pleasure to be hosting a wonderfully charming district! Ladies first I always say! YAYA!" He blows the audience a kiss, and crams his hand, which looks like it has been spray painted orange, and goes on to red, not unlike my dress, for the rest of his body, and a blue face... he looks like he's choking.

Anyway, he dips his hand into the girls' ball. Before I even have time to wish for Jess and my safety, he is calling me up.

Me?

I guess it's no surprise really, because I am seventeen, and I have tesserae for myself and my mum, while Jess has tesserae for herself and dad. District 9 is pretty small, and although I only have 12 tesserae, that is a lot considering that 9 is made up of only one small town.

I walk up to the stage with my fists clenched, wiping my face clean of emotion.

I hope.

I need to sit down. I can't believe that I got called up! Out of all the other girls here, why me?!

I need a strategy. And fast. The only problem is, that there is no way I'll ever be able to kill somebody.

**Grant Mitchen's POV**

I stand with the other 13 year olds, say a quick prayer to God that I don't get chosen.

I get ready to clap for the girl that's chosen, like we have to, but there is no need. Javari is already calling out the boy's name. Gosh, he likes to do things quickly doesn't he?

"Grant Mitchen? Is Grant Mitchen in the audience?"

I walk up to the stage with no surprise, because even though this is only my second year, and we are quite well off, (Unlike Victoria, the girl tribute, she is so skinny from my point of view), ever since my great grandpa won, almost every one of his children, grandchildren etc, have been reaped.

Victoria has black straight hair and, though she has all the right features in all the right places and shapes, her nose is big, and she's not very attractive. She has a huge pimple problem.

I walk up to the stage calmly and quietly. That's one thing I'm good at. Staying quiet.  
Like that'll help me in the games. I don't have a hope.

I shake hands with Victoria, and note that her hands are sweating. Hm. She looks blank, bored even, but it is nice to know that underneath that she is as scared as me, though the way she hides it, it is like it's a secret.

I like to know secrets.

**District 10**

**Rathford Burmia's POV**

I stare around at the children around me, scared witless of the prospect of being reaped.

Children.

Don't they know that out of the one hundred and twenty boys eligible to be reaped, they only have a tiny chance? Of course not, they are children.

In my perspective, I am already middle-aged, too old to be reaped.

Of course, this is not true, as I am only eighteen. Don't get me wrong, from that start I realise that I seem boring, bookish and dull.

Not always. I can be interesting, I assure you. Though I may be too logical, over thinking things a bit, and _always _right, I do have feelings.

Though, logic does take up a big part of my life.

For instance, I do know that out of the 126 boy's eligible for the Games in my district, and the 593 slips of paper in that bowl, I have 10 of them.

That's about a 1.7% chance of me being chosen, and that's a chance that I want to be prepared for.

If I get chosen, no one will see my weakness.

Didn't I already tell you? I over think things – way too much, according to Kyle, my brother. Though, in the games, _especially _the Quarter Quell, over thinking thinks should be an advantage. Paranoia, too.

The new escort, Cornelius, walks on stage once the mayor finishes his speech about 'being thankful'.

Yeah, right.

Thankful.

"Now, I'm honoured to be escorting such a... nice... district."

You can tell he already is wishing that he is in district one or two or four.

Oh well, he's stuck with us now.

Our tiny little district must be such a change from 11, though I've heard that district 9 is smaller.

"And let's see, ladies first! And our female tribute from district ten is......." _Cue_ _drum roll_, I think sarcastically, "Genie Wiskunde!" A girl with a head full of bright red hair comes up. For two reasons I notice her; first, she is sobbing uncontrollably, making a helluva noise. Second, her hair – it's so bright, the way the sun bounces off it, it might as well be made of gold.

She climbs up to the stage, wobbling slightly. Her skin is so pale I wonder if she ever goes outside. It's not pasty though. She has pretty green eyes.

She looks to be about two years younger than me.

It's a pity she will have to die; she looks kind, though she's obviously a wimp. I wonder who the boy who will kill her will be.

Huh, Cornelius just called out the boy's name.

I guess there is a good chance it will be me who kills her, then.

**Genie Wiskunde's POV**

I just got called into the games.

Damn.

_Hmm, what should I do? I need a strategy. Fast._

About a hundred different strategies race through my head in a second, and I reject all but one in half that time.

Sexy - no, I'll have the girl careers to deal with, they'll be much prettier than me.

Vicious - no, I'm simply not big enough.

Cunning - no, although I am, it has been used to much before and I will defiantly be marked as an easy target because no 'cunning' people have ever won.

In love - no, ever since that was used twenty six years ago by district twelve, it's been used ever since, a lot.

Arrogant – no, a girl couldn't pull that off, even the boys hardly get any sponsors doing this.

Humorous – no, even though this might get me sponsors, I won't be taken seriously, plus, I don't do funny.

Weak – this might work... I'm small enough to pull it off, but it mightn't get me too many sponsors until later in the games.

I think through about ninety more, but I won't list them all.

I go through, and discard these options in about a second, but it's clear that I have to go up soon, or else.

I go with the last option, and start sobbing and moaning, gradually getting louder and louder, until all eyes are on me. Bawling, trying to look as small as possible, I make my way up to the stage. I start to fade out my noise so the escort, Cornelius, can read the boys' name.

It's an analytical, cold looking boy, who's handsomish, I guess with light brown hair and green eyes like mine. Green eyes are common in district 10.

He takes one look at me, and I guess he's not as smart as he looks, because he immediately falls for my act, and though his mouth isn't smiling, his eyes are, and I know he thinks he sees an easy target

– not likely.

It is a pity I went so quickly with my weak angle, maybe I could have pulled off something else.

Oh well.

To support this weak thing, I will have to get a low score, and I'll have to behave like a snivelling idiot for the whole time.

Oh well.

At least I can cry one cue.

**District 11, Jasmine Lisaman's POV**

I brush my black hair out of my eyes, and start whispering with Marissa, my best friend. We've been friends ever since the first day of reception, and have stayed as close as two peas in a pod ever since, even now, when we have a job in the fields. Even though we are only fifteen, we already have jobs. That's the way it works, you learn to read, write and make simple calculations, and then you get a job and go to work.

Every year we make bets on who will go up, based on age, wealth, how many in a family, etc. It's not nice, I know, in fact, it's horrible. But we don't _mean_ it. Every time we just get stupider and stupider, until, instead of using basic statistics, we simply bet that it'll be someone we don't like!

It never is, though. District 11's so big; it's _always_ someone we don't know.

It makes it easier, y'know.

Pretending that you have nothing to do with them when they get murdered, pretending that they're from another district, that they're not _really _dead.

Just pretending.

"Ladies first girls, get ready to be chosen!" Calls out our escort, Cantenia, to the audience. He looks ridiculous with magenta dreadlocked hair and tattoo's everywhere.

Of course, this isn't the real reaping. Our reapings are complicated.

The escort chooses the names in private, and then makes sure that they're in the district square.

The peacekeepers come to your house and tell you to come to the square. If they don't, then you can stay home and watch on T.V. The names are called a week in advance, because some of the more distant parts of 11 are about two days walking from the main square.

Then, they go over to other people's houses – usually family, and occasionally friends, in case anyone volunteers (not likely!) – and they tell them the same message the told the tributes, 'to come into the square on the reaping day,' so nobody can tell who's going to be the tribute.

Every year so far I haven't been in the audience, and I've known that it won't be _my _name that's called out. Now, I'm not so sure.

Marissa has been in the audience every year.

I wonder which kid will be chosen this year. It could be me, or Marissa, or Sello, Marissa's brother, or _anyone_.

Cantenia, our escort, starts with the boys, which is odd – our escort last year started with girls

"And the boy tribute is.... Sello Vaughn!" He called out.

Sello! Out of all of district 11's (roughly) five thousand boys eligible for the reaping, and the hundreds of boys here, in the square, _he _got chosen?

I can't believe it! What are the odds of someone I know being reaped?

Marissa is crying next to me, weeping hysterically. "I'm going to volunteer," She choked, "I'm going to get him home!" I shush her, and tell her that killing herself would only make her family sadder.

I guess I'm not so good with words, because she shakes me away. "How can I just stand by and watch my little brother die?" She whispers. I guess I said the wrong thing.

One of my other friends, Ezra, starts crying. Why? Did... Oh no... Did she get called up?

She nudges me, and I realise that _I _got called up! ME!

Oh no...

***

I'm sitting in the justice building, sitting in a room by myself.

Ezra and Marissa come to visit me first.

Both are crying.

"What are the _odds?"_ Wails Ezra, while Marissa pulls me into a hug.

We just sit there, hugging and crying until the peacekeepers come to take them away.

"What should I do... me and my mum saved up enough money to support a tribute this year, only enough for one! Who do I choose? My bestie or my brother?" Cries Marissa, and I know what to do.

"Your brother," I say firmly, and stop crying. "I'll protect him to, and he'll come back," I raise my voice to a shout as they get thrown out. "I'll protect him Marissa! You know I will!"

**Sello Vaughn's POV**

Marissa visits me, and tells me that she's sponsoring me with the money that mum, Marissa and I saved up.

"But what about Jasmine?" I had asked. Jasmine is, like, Marissa's best friend.

Sisters.

Ezra always jokes that they are 'sisters from different misters', and I have to say that that is accurate!

She just told me it would be alright, that she loved me, and then left.

Now I'm on the tribute train, and so far, Jasmine has been truly kind and caring. She told me that we're now allies, and also that as soon as the gong goes in the game, to run to cover. She said that she'd get us supplies, and meet me.

I hope she does.

I'm watching the recap of all the districts, except twelve, and a few people stand out; a huge boy from one, his names Miracle.

A gorgeous but scary looking girl from two.

A muscley girl from four, who tries to look friendly and no threat, but she's not, because she growls at her escort, and even though she wears her hair in pigtails, she has frown lines and glares a lot.

A protective looking boy from five who volunteered to protect his sister, I think, and, finally, a pregnant girl from eight.

The rest all blur in together, but I've noticed that quite a few people this year have bright red hair.

Weird.

**Last but, well I guess it **_**is **_**least, district 12!!!**

**Robert "Red" Leerman's POV**

The day of the reaping. Whoopee!

Not.

I stand with my friends, Padaal and Jim, and start to fidget. I see a huge cockroach crawl near my foot. Ugh, I hate bugs. I push my boot into it, sqishing it into the sidewalk.

Gross.

Jim looks upset – I know why, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Normally if I see Jim, who is _always _happy, upset, I will immediately go out of my way to do, or say, something funny, which will cheer him up.

Sometimes, Jim gets drunk on just plain _living_, he's so happy all the time.

But not today.

Ever since his sister, Tara, got chosen, and died in the blood bath, he's never been the same – he's always depressed on the reaping day.

Who isn't?

I rack my brains of something to say.

Usually humour comes easier than this.

Luckily, I'm saved from humiliating myself in front of Jim by saying something stupid, because our escort, Julius, comes up.

"Ladies first I always say!"

Huh.

He - Julius, I mean, is a new escort this year, fresh from the capitol. He's so surgically altered its gross – with spew green swirls covering a body that has been painted entirely gold.

"And our girl tribute is... Anna Pepperman!" A tiny girl goes up, with the traditional seam look; dark grey eyes, dark skin and black hair – though I know this girl isn't from the seam.

She lives in Victors' Village, with her mum, Katniss, and her dad, Peeta.

Peeta and Katniss are our only surviving victors, because Haymitch, the other one, died last year. Peeta took it hard, but I've heard that neither of them have succumbed to alcohol or morphling.

In the 100 years that we have had the hunger Games, we have had five victors. Areola, she one in the eleventh Hunger Games, 81 years ago, Haymitch, Peeta, Katniss and, a boy who won five years ago, Vick.

This poor little girl, who is only 12, won't stand a chance.

Julius congratulates the girl, "And I hope that you have _just_ as much luck as your parents during the Games," He beams at her, and, I know he means well, as much as a capitol freak can mean well, but, I _hate _the fact that the victors' kids always get reaped – it's defiantly rigged.

"Anyway, on to the boys! May the odds be ever in your favour! Our boy tribute for the 100th Hunger Games is... Robert Leerman! Congratulations, tributes of district 12!"

I walk up to the stage, and shake Anna's hand.

She's so small, she goes up to about my waist. Poor girl.

It's a pity she's going into the Games. I wouldn't want to.

Oh, right I am.

Am I?

Or is this all a dream. It's likely. Yes, it's a dream, there is no chance that _I'm _going into the games! Not me!

Anna Pepperman is odd. She has huge grey eyes, and long eyelashes. But her eyes don't have the cute innocence that most 12 year olds have – she has an old, weary look that shows that she has seen more than any 12 year old should've. Like all 12 year olds in district 12, no, wait, like all _people_ in _Panem_, she is forced to watch slaughter and mayhem and murder.

We all are.

**Anna Pepperman's POV**

I knew this would happen.

Of course.

I am the first child of the 'star crossed lovers from district 12'. So I was chosen, like all victors' kids are chosen.

It's not_ fair!!!_

It's not fair how the manipulate the reapings, it's not fair how we, the districts get punished for a rebellion that happened over a hundred years ago, crimes that we're committed by our ancestors.

It's not fair!

Mum and dad agree, though they are more extreme than me.

They don't just have little temper tantrums in their head, like I do, they talk about... about... about starting another _rebellion._

THAT would be disastrous.

We would be slaughtered, and district 12 would be blown to bits like district 13 was.

Even though that was a hundred years ago, the ruins of 13 are still smouldering with radiation, still to toxic to go anywhere near.

I look out the tribute train, and clutch onto my token, a bracelet, adorned with a little glass mockingjay, perched on a little glass branch. It is so small, only the size of my pinkie finger.

I am in the old, tumble down justice building, waiting for my family to come in. My mum and dad probably won't come, because they will be my mentors, and they will see a lot of me, but I can guarantee my sisters will.

All four of them.

They are so young; they are four, five, eight and ten.

I can only hope they are too young to understand where I am going, and why I won't be coming back.


	10. hmph

**Hmmm not happy people! **

**:( :( :(**

**So far I have had 152 people reading my page and only 23 reviewing! READ AND REVIEW OR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	11. the training sessions

**Yay! Now I will be doing the trainings and in the individual training! Once we are into the games, I will stick to a few main people's POV so I don't get confused!**

**How do I get someone to be my beta? Jsut Wnoedirng bceuase I seem to Mkae a lot of sepllnig and garmmer msiateks! PM me if you want to be my beta!**

**BTW, I am progressing my story with so, I will never repeat the same thing happening twice from two perspectives, unless someone is remembering something, but I may be inconsistent sometimes, so be patient! **

**District one, Fairy LaBone's POV**

I'm already allied with the idiots from two and four, as well as Marvel, from my district. It's a pity, I had thought about going it alone so I can do win by myself, but my chances of survival are so much higher if I stick in a group.

Anyway, I have been instructed to stay with the Careers'.

I have also been instructed to show off as much as possible, but steer clear of knives, which I'm best at, until my private session.

That means that I'm sticking with bows, maces, swords, darts and plants, because I'm excellent at all of these. I might avoid some of the more eccentric weapons though, because, for instance, I wouldn't have a clue how to wield a trident or a whip or a dart.

The good thing about being the best at throwing knives is that knives are common – there will almost definitely be knives in all the packs that are just _waiting _for me to use.

Once we find one of the Cornucopia's, that is.

Until then, I will make do with a stick or something, because I am fairly fragile, so hand-to-hand combat is a no-go.

I can't wait to see what the competition will be.

I'm disappointed, because all the other tributes look weak and thin, though some of the boys look fairly dangerous, like that boy from six.

We'll see.

I grab Jade, from two.

"You any good at combat?" She asks me quietly.

I grin at her. "Nah, what say we throw some knives, winner gets first dibbs on the supplies when we find the cornucopia?"

"Deal, it looks like the boys have dominated the combat anyway,"

We stand by the combat station, with ten knives each, and Jade suggests I go first.

"okay, whoever gets the most bullseyes wins,"

I gather ten knives, and get a grip on my blade.

**District one, Miracle Benesis's POV**

I'm in the training centre, and as soon as the head instructor, or whatever he is, tells us we can go, I head straight to the combat station and wave over that kid from four, Michael.

He doesn't look to happy about it, but he's got big muscles, and it'll be fair game I reckon.

He reluctantly comes over. What's wrong with him?

Isn't he as eager to get into the games as I am?

Oh well, he's just ducked under the ring's rope, and takes of his shoes.

Fair game I reckon.

He launches at me, and I fight back with my all.

I dodge in and out, trying to get him tired, but he doesn't fall for it, making small, quick movements, and lashing out with his feet and hands.

At one point I manage to get a purchase on his wrist, but he twists it round in some kind of kung-fooey movement that ends up with me in a headlock.

I knee him in the shin, not one of my most dignified moments, but it makes him loosen his grip.

Then I stomp on his instep, a girly move I know, then, to man it up, punch him in the face.

Though Michael's not bleeding, the combat trainer calls foul.

We both ignore him. He sweeps at my legs with his feet, and I jump it.

I grunt as he punches my windpipe, and fall to the ground.

Michael attempts to kick me, adding new meaning to the phrase 'kick me while I'm down.' I manage to roll away and get back up again, and go for a clumsy punch that somehow hits him in the shoulder.

It's going to be a long fight – I was right to say it was fair game.

**District two, Jade Ransels POV**

I hate to say it, but Fairy's got skill. I get nine out of ten knives in the bullseye, standing all the way back from the combat station!

That's fantastic, considering that knives aren't even my weapon of choice.

I shake my long, light blonde hair out of my eyes. Fairy and I have very similar hair, but hers is a bit lighter than mine, which I hadn't thought possible until I saw the recap.

Fairy gets all ten knives in, and I shake her hand, laughing.

But my laughter is fake.

If Fairy can hit all ten bullseyes standing at the combat station, which is about fifteen whole metres (16.1 yards) away from the targets, then she is at a great advantage, and that means she will have to go, quite quickly too.

Wisely, she doesn't brag. She must see what a superior person I am, and maybe she has enough intuition to realise who it is wise to be an arrogant ass with, and who it's not advisable to brag to.

**District two, Coby Ribsters POV**

I'm hoping that Jade will call me over to train with her, but she doesn't, because before she can ask me (which I'm sure she was just about to do) the evil cutie from one calls her over to practice knives.

Miracle is fighting with Michael, so that leaves me with Cote, who looks kind of weird.

She has frown lines, and keeps on scowling at people, but is trying to look innocent and cute.

It's not working – she just looks bizarre.

I'm about to tell her this, but before I can she strides over to me and asks if I want to practice with the spears.

To my extreme shame, she is almost as good as me, which is weird, because I'm really good with spears!

They're my speciality!

Unlike the careers from one and two, Cote is big and lumbering, with a lank, greasy black hair, a huge mouth and crooked yellow teeth.

Ugh, I thought that career girls were supposed to be hot! Like Fairy and Jade, and, even though I would never say this out aloud, some of the girls from other districts are lookers, as well.

I grab a sword and start practicing with Cote, and it's nice to know that she's a terrible fighter. She leaves all her weak points unguarded, and spins the sword around at an odd angle.

Once she tries to jab me so hard, she accidently lets go and the sword flies across the room, sticking into the wall near the poisonous plants station, where district twelve is acing all the plants they throw at her. District 12 looks so startled, the yelps and scurries of to the knot-tying station, across the room.

I snicker. How easily the poor districts get scared off – she will be no competition!

Cote squeals quite loudly and admits she's never used a sword before.

The careers from district four don't look to promising this year – maybe we should end the alliance with them as soon as the games start – otherwise we will be dragged down to their level of stupidity and be beaten by experience.

**District three, Mickey Algeraz's POV**

I look around the training centre, and decide to learn to throw a knife. I'm already pretty good at plants and camouflage, so I guess I need to get to know some weapons.

The girls from one and two are already at the knife station, and they take some blunt yet cruel looking knives from the trainer, and stand all the way back near the combat station.

Two boys are wrestling there, two careers. Every time I think district one gets the upper hand, two gets another burst of strength and starts to win.

Both are relentless, but there fighting styles are way different. The blonde, who I think is from district one, is wild and explosive, and attacks with random bursts of speed and strength that are impossible to predict.

The other boy, who I think is from four, is calm and calculated, with a grim determination that makes it seem like he will never give up.

Neither appears to be winning, and judging from the amount of sweat, they have been fighting for a while. Together they'd be unstoppable.

About ten knives whizz past me, in quick succession, and each on hits a bullseye on a different target – one sails just though my legs, and hits a target on the floor behind me. Only one misses, and that one only misses by about five centimetres.

It's the girl from two, Jade, and the girl from one, whose name I don't know.

They are laughing, and they appear to be good friends, but although district one seems to be genuinely having fun, as only a career can, Jade's laughter sounds a bit forced.

Maybe I'm imagining it.

I get a grip on a tiny knife, which fits perfectly in the palm of my hand, and get a good grip.

I'm really hoping to get a good stick, and I do.

But not on the target.

The knife sails over the target, and into the wall.

The girls saw me, and are practically fall on the ground laughing.

"Hey district three, want to throw a knife at me? I bet then you'll hit the target! Isn't that funny Fairy?" Yells Jade.

So... the mystery girl from one's name is Fairy. Stupid name.

It's not really that funny, and Fairy looks at me kind of sympathetically.

But it's not real sympathy, more of a look that says 'I'm sorry you're such a loser."

Cote, the girl from four, I think, swaggers over.

She had been listening in, obviously.

"Yeah district three," she bellows, right in my ear. "Jade talked to you, why don't you give her an answer then, right?"

It seems that Cote is trying to impress the others.

I quiver in her vice-like grip – I'm scared to death. Aren't the trainers supposed to stop the tributes killing each other?

I'm about to say something, probably something weak and pathetic mind you, but all that comes out is wild gasping.

I can't breathe.

"Oh go cry in a bucket Coat-girl; it's not that big of a deal!" snaps Fairy. Now all of the career girls are involved, and I'm sensing a bitch fight coming.

Cote drops me, and I sink to the ground, gasping for air.

"Don't call me that, you freak!" Cote hovers over Fairy, making her look tiny and fragile.

All the eyes that were on me turn to the careers, and I seize this opportunity to jump up and scurry away.

Miracle swaggers over. It seems him and Michael have stopped fighting to join in the slanging match. "You got a problem with Fairy then, do you? Why don't you go over and train with district 12 then – you've got about the same skill!"

"How dare you, you little fu-"

Before she can finish, a trainer hurries over to break it up.

It's about time!

I can see _that_ particular alliance ending rather quickly!

Cote turns to where I had been only minutes before, and snarls "I'm not finished with you ye – oh!" I hide behind a post, as the girls tease her for letting me get away.

I puff for breath, and decide to lay low for a little while, you know, until they forget about me.

I wish I was home.

**District 3, Rosemary Grey's POV**

I'm starting to see a pattern here – the girl tributes form one and two make fun of people, Cote tries to join in, Jade and Fairy snub her.

I'm just glad that so far I've been able to fly under the radar. Mickey, my district partner is so unfortunate – Cote nearly suffocated him, and it took forever for the trainers to notice and finally break it up.

I haven't seen him since.

I walk over to the mace station, partly because I've done this once or twice, but mostly because there is no one there.

The trainer seems happy to have someone over at his station, and while I figure that this station usually has more visitors, the careers are more occupied with other stuff, like, oh, say, bitch fighting and whatnot.

It turns out I'm pretty good with a mace, and it's probably the one weapon I'm good at (besides knives, but _everyone _can wield a knife! Well, except maybe Mickey.)

The trainer looks pleased at my progress, but soon I join Anna at the knot tying station when the huge boy from four comes along.

Anna's pretty hopeless at knots.

We are silent for a while until she starts to talk.

"I'm actually pretty good with a bow and arrow, my mum taught me how. I have a lot of skills, but I'm just over here to learn some new ones!"

I have no idea why she is confiding with me, but, then again, who knows how a twelve year olds mind works?

"Uh yeah, me too," I whisper back at her. She looks surprised.

"You're good with a bow?"

"Nah, I meant I'm good with some weapons, and I came over here to try some new skills! I've never gone near a bow and arrow in my life"

Her eyes widen, and then she grins.

Outgoing little kid, she is.

"Come on, I can teach you!" She says triumphantly, as I eye the two from district 1 on a nearby station.

But I tag along anyways, and, you know what?

Turns out I'm not that hopeless with a bow after all!

**Day two!**

**District 6, Raff Reeman's POV!**

After the fiasco with the fighting on day one, I decide to leave trying to get with the careers until day two.

Now that it is, I'm not so sure. But I guess my survival rate will be higher if I get a proper night's sleep and supplies, once the careers find them.

I sidle up to Miracle, because he seems to be the unannounced leader of the gang, and he stares at me coldly.

"What do you want, district six? Your head to be whacked in?"

I gulp nervously at the threat, and suddenly the tiny amount of courage that I had left deserts me. I struggle to keep my voice even.

"Call me Raff," I say, "and I want to join the careers," Luckily my voice doesn't break, and it sounds a lot stronger than I feel.

"You want to _what?_" he looks shocked for a second, then snickers, regaining his composure.

"I'm strong, fast and smart. I think I can help you, in the careers,"

"You _think?" _He laughs, "Don't overrate yourself,' He has an evil glint in his eye that's kind of freaking me out.

I gulp.

"I'll talk about it with the others, see what they say." He turns on his heel and strides towards the other careers. Well, at least it's not a flat out rejection.

He says something to them quietly and they turn to look at me.

To be a career, you have to be an arrogant ass, so I grin at them in an arrogant-assish kind of way.

I do what my dad calls 'grinning with my mouth, glaring with my eyes,' it works. Fairy looks away first, but Jade holds my gaze longer, before looking down. She seems to be finding her shoes very interesting.

Michael raises one eyebrow, a feat I could never accomplish, and Coby just shakes his head, as if he is exasperated.

Cote doesn't even look my way, but I figure she has a room temperature IQ, if you know what I mean.

They whisper furiously, and Fairy is talking in a quietly persuasive voice.

Eventually Miracle comes back over, with Jade at his side. Because she looked away, I marked her as a weakling – but she seems to be some sort of second in command, or something like that, because when they finally reach me, she talks first.

"You fancy yourself a career then?" She snarls, "You think you're good enough for us?"

She pauses, as if waiting for a response, and eventually I nod.

"Well then, district six, you're going to have to prove yourself then? Hmm, I think you have to get..." She whispers in Miracle's ears, and I think my first impressions were wrong. Miracle isn't the leader is – he's just a puppet. A strong figure being controlled by a smarter voice.

Trust me, I know. I get people.

I'm an excellent judge of character.

Finally, Miracle speaks. "Get a training score of nine or higher and you're in. Lower and you're on puppy chow." He says it so simply, we could be discussing a game of football, or something like that.

Not discussing my life.

Oh well. Two words will get you into the careers: Arrogant ass!

"Nine!" I scoff, "I could get a nine in my sleep! Hah!" I'm bluffing, of course. "I'll get a ten, at least!" The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Ten it is, Raff," Jade grimaces. "but you better make this decision worth my while, or we'll kill on the first day" They walk away, and I'm wondering how they'll manage to kill me without any weapons.

They'll probably just break my neck or something.

The it hits me what I just said.

Oh my god.

I've got to get a ten to survive the first day!

Why did I say that?

Why did I make things worse?

What have I done?

_What have I done?!_

**District 7, Bower Rivil's POV**

Ugh, the stupid fancy capitol doctor said that I can't do anything to physical until my head heals – which will take a few days.

That means that I will only just be able to do things like sword fights and whatnot until I'm already into the arena – that means no training with weapons.

Great.

I walk over to the knot-tying station, and zone out while the trainer tells me how to make a snare.

Like I don't already know how to do this – I can do ridiculously cool things with just one metre (about 1 yard) of rope.

I cut him off mid-sentence with a yawn, and wander over to the camouflage station. B-O-R-I-N-G!

The boy from nine is already there, I think he's name is Grant, and he looks to be about four years younger than me.

He's struggling.

So am I, for that matter.

In the end I manage to make some camouflage with mud that looks like random squiggles, and I spend the rest of the afternoon drawing skulls with black juice on my forearm.

It's going to be a long day.

**District 7, Reizvolle Krankenschwesters POV **

I'm pretty good with most weapons, considering I'm from district 7, so I skip those for my private session with the gamemakers and go to poisonous plants station.

I've never done this before, but the trainer tells me which are poisonous, and which aren't, then tests me.

I ace it.

I always have had an amazing memory.

Two of the plants scare me though – one looks like a blackberry, but is dead poisonous, and is called nightlock.

The other is a tree that looks suspiciously like pine, which is edible, but will send you insane and strip down your brain to only the bare animal instincts.

It's called Devil's Bane, which sounds weird.

That thought scares me. I have always prided myself on my smarts, my cleverness, and if I'm just basically an animal then I will be an easy target for the other tributes.

Ugh.

Luckily, it's recognised by the small red streaks that run up and down the trunk, though the streaks are very small.

Nightlock is recognised by the horrible red juice that squirts out of it when you squeeze it.

Gross, I think I'll go to camouflage now.

**Day Three!**

**District 10! Genie Wiskkunde's POV**

All the people here are fools.

The careers let everyone know their strengths, which will make it easier to take them down, and the others simply cower away from them.

I join the second group, just keep up my act.

So does Raff, for that matter.

The boy from six seems quite mean, and he has joined the careers.

I can see his district partner, Marionette, looking at him like he's a traitor, which, I suppose, he is.

The careers let him tag along, but while I was 'eavesdropping' on their little conversation, I found out that he's not a career unless he gets a nine in training.

There was more to that conversation, but the main trainer, Jemerick, saw me, and I think he knew what I was doing, so I left.

Plus, the smarter careers might have seen me, because for all my sneakiness, I'm not stealthy, and I'm quite loud, a fact which really annoys me.

I cry when I hit myself on the head with a blunt sword.

Of course, this is all front. While I'm behaving clumsily and awkwardly, I am actually soaking up as much information as I can, and I really hope I can remember it when I find the cornucopia.

Of course I will.

Next, I head over to the ropes station, to learn snares. Once I find the cornucopia, (Hopefully I will be the first one to find it), I will make it seem like no one is there, and trap people.

Simple.

I use the same method that I did with the swords, not getting it right, making a fool of myself, and generally crying a lot, but in the end I find the perfect trap.

It uses a lot of rope, and it's quite complicated, but I think I could do it, because once it is finished, it will render up to ten people unconscious all at once, and make it easy to kill them later.

I watch closely as the instructor shows me how, and repeat it in my head.

Once I think I have got it down pat, I move on to the next helpful little knot I will be learning next.

Thankfully, I have the station all to myself, and the careers are busy picking on their latest recruit, the boy from six.


	12. Training Scores!

**Happy Easter, all!!!**

**This is the last chapter before the games, and I'm not going to do any POV's.**

**This is just going to be the training scores that they got in their private training sessions! :) I don't feel like doing what they did in their private sessions, because I can't think of anything original. :D**

**The scores get mostly lower as they go down, because, even if the contestant has skill, the gamemakers don't pay attention. Of course, some people just plain suck. :)**

**Enjoy!**

**1: M- Miracle Bennesis 10 F- Fairy LaBone 10**

**2: M-Coby Ribster 9 F- Jade Ransel 11**

**3: M- Mickey Algeraz 4 F-Rosemary Grey 7**

**4: M Michael Harmon 9 F Cote Perrette 7**

**5: M Jonathan Clairval 5 F Elise Clairvall 3**

**6: M: Raff Reeman 9 F Marionette Winsome 6**

**7: M: Bower Rivil 4 F Reizvolle Krankenschwester 8**

**8: M Mark Weatherly 6 F Pauley DePablo 2**

**9: M Grant Mitchell 5 F Victoria Ellis 4**

**10: M Rathford Burmia 8 F Genie Wiskunde 6**

**11: M Sello Vaughn 3 F Jasmine Lisaman 5**

**12: M Robert 'Red' Leerman 5 F Anna Mellark 8**


	13. The Games

**And we're off and into the Games!!! F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!!!!!!!!**

**Thank you to all who are reviewing. Hint – Hint.**

**Special mentions to my dream last night that gave me the idea for the arena!**

**(Yes, I have dreams about the Hunger Games. Deal with it!)**

**District 5, Jonathon Clairvall's POV **

I wrap my arms around my jacket, and wish that my stylist had given me a clue to what it was used for. But, because of our 'abysmal' training scores, she just left in disgust.

I don't even know what abysmal means, but I guess it's not good.

The jacket is thin, but warm, which I guess means cold weather. I'm wearing hiking boots, with little spikes embedded into the bottom.

Good for grip.

And kicking people.

The platform begins to lower me down.

***

The first thing I see when the platform is Elise. She is standing next to me, luckily, with the little kid from district 12 on my right hand side. I'm so glad that there aren't any careers nearby.

I look around, wondering where the cornucopia is, then remember.

No cornucopia. Not until we find it, anyway. We being me and Elise, of course.

The arena is... different this year. Very different.

All the platforms are on a large hill, the hill being about fifty metres long and fifty metres wide. That's fairly big.

Going off in all directions are six wooden bridges, none of them looking all too sturdy. One good strong kick to the ropes holding them up and they'd snap, thanks to the boots – then it hits me.

Twenty four tributes.

Six bridges.

If all the career tributes took a different bridge, then snapped it when they got to the other end, the other eighteen of us would be stranded here.

Lovely.

The bridges all lead to the mainland, which encircles us, and between us and the mainland, below the bridges is murky greenish grey water. If I squint my eyes I can just make out the shape of huge creatures, about five times the width, and seven times the width of me, lurking there.

I hope I'm just imagining it.

I _really, really _hope I'm just imagining it.

On the mainland, there is a forest to one side, and what appear to be ice caps to the other.

I'll bet that there is one cornucopia to each side.

I catch Elise eye, and discreetly point to a bridge that is really close to the forest. She nods, and mouths to me, _"do we snap it?" _At first I have no idea what she means, but then I get it. I nod my head, because we don't want anyone following us.

She looks unhappy with this decision, but she nods.

I can only hope that the fragile bridge can take our weight.

I lean forward to run, just as the gong goes off. I grab Elise's hand and run, both of us going faster than we have ever gone before. We have kicked down the ropes holding up the bridge and disappeared into the forest before some of the tributes have even stepped off their platforms.

**District 4, Michael Harmon's POV**

Before I can move, the kids from district five have disappeared into the forest, and kicked down the bridge they crossed.

I walk over to a bridge that district twelve is running for, and stand in front of it, guarding it, so we have away to get off of this great muddy rock.

District 12 skids to a stop and runs to another bridge.

The fear I see on her face doesn't make me feel any better.

By now, most of the kids have taken the bridge, mostly to the forest.

Of course, who would be dumb enough to head out into the ice without provisions?

The only person that is dead is the blonde girl from district six. Marionette, I think her name was. Miracle snapped her neck before she could even step of her platform. I see her district token, a ring, roll out of her fingers as she hits the ground.

I look away, disgusted. She was what, like, fourteen years old? Too young to be killed.

I look into the dim water, and I think I see a shark. I would know wouldn't I, me being from the district with more sharks than humans?

The careers, who haven't left the hill yet, come towards me.

"Thanks for saving us a bridge, Mike," Says Miracle. He's the one that killed the girl. He's right though; all the other bridges have been broken.

"I'm Michael," I say stonily. He looks confused.

"In your interview, you said that all your friends called you Mike,"

"Yeah," I agree, "All my friends. You're not one of them,"

He looks like he is about to hit me, but I see someone who's still on the hill, who I didn't notice before.

Raff.

I arch my eyebrow in surprise, (something I've been able to do since I can remember, and I'm quite proud of it), because the deal was that if he got a ten in training he could join – all he got was a nine.

Miracle sees me looking behind him and whirls around.

Raff opens his mouth to explain, but Jade interrupts him, eyeing Miracle.

"Let him stay. I have an idea," She whispers something to us, so only we can hear.

"My idea is, he can be our... our canary, if you like," She breathes, "He can test the bridge, and any berries or whatever that we think may be poisonous."

I nod. This is a good idea. Better than killing him outright, anyway.

"I agree. He got a better score than The Coat, anyway," Fairy sniggers, using one of her numerous nicknames for the girl from my district. Fairy's right, though, Cote only got a seven – the worst score that any career has got for decades!

"Shut-up, it wasn't my fault-"

"We roll our eyes as Cote struggles to think of an excuse for her awful training score. She looks at me, as if she wants me to jump to her defence.

I don't.

We straighten up from our little huddle, and tell him he can stay.

"Thanks," he mutters, and I can tell he heard our conversation.

"Right, district six, you do whatever we say or you're gonna end up like your partner over there."

He looks where Marionettes body was only minutes before, and I can tell he cares for her, simply because they are from the same district. That's not what he says, though.

"Oh, like she was anything like me. She was just a weak and pathetic little girl,"

'Little girls' should not be in this arena. None of us should – it's barbaric. That's not what I say though; because all that would happen is I would probably get thrown off the side and into the water – with the sharks.

Evidently this must be what Jade is thinking – not throwing me into the shark infested water, but the sharks in general.

"I think we should move on," she says with authority I didn't think she had – I was under the impression Miracle was in charge. "I don't like the looks of whatever those things are in the water,"

"What things in the water?" Asks Cote, starting to walk down the muddy bank of the hill.

I yank her back up. "They're sharks. You _should_ have realised by now."

"Sharks?" asks Coby. Huh, I hadn't even realised he was there – he was so quite, which is weird, because now I remember him saying – well, him saying _a lot _during the interviews.

He's from district two, but I thought everyone knew what sharks where.

Obviously not, because all the careers and Raff, are looking at me like I just told them that squiglelumplets are in the water.

Except Cote of course, and she backs away from the water slowly.

"Sharks," I begin, as if I'm teaching a class at school, "those huge shapes in the water. They eat meat, and I'm betting that they're mutts, engineered to like the taste of people. Huge teeth, really, really fast, quiet, they breathe underwater, and we have no weapons, they are really hard to kill even if we did...." I trail of as I see the horrified faces of the careers.

They should be horrified – in district four, being killed by sharks while fishing or swimming is the highest cause of unnatural death. Sharks kill approximately one hundred people a year, sometimes more, sometimes less – it's a huge problem in district four.

My train of thought is broken my Miracle's voice.

"Right then, if that's the case, let's get going!" Says Miracle, "Let's find at least one of the cornucopia's first then! Alright, Raff, you first!" He tries to give Raff a boot in the chest, but Raff is on the bridge before I can blink – the kids fast!

Miracle looked annoyed that he'd missed, but followed Raff as soon as he was on the other side. That's probably a smart idea – the bridge didn't look like it could too many people.

"Hey, you next, Amazing," snaps Fairy. It takes Miracle a moment to realise she's talking to him.

"You know, we're from the same district, I would've thought you'd know my name by now!"

"But that's your name isn't it?" Fairy says sarcastically.

"No, my name's Miracle,"

"Oh, well done Sherlock! Give a round of applause for the great genius!"

"Like you're names so much better, pixie-girl,"

"Is that the best you can come up wi-?"

"Maybe we should get a move on?" I suggest delicately – I don't want to die on the first day! "By the time we have finished this little conversation it will be the end of the Games."

Once we had all finally crossed, it was almost night, (I was shocked that the bridge had held Cote's weight – she's not exactly lithe), we set out, with Raff in the lead, so he would set off any traps the gamemakers set, then Jade and Miracle, then me and Coby, with Cote bringing up the rear, and Fairy scouting the sides for edible plants.

I made a huge effort to put Fairy and Miracle as far away from each other as possible.

**District 12, Robert 'Red' Leerman's POV**

I hunt around for some edible plants, but I don't recognise any.

There is some pine, but it's covered in little red streaks, and I'm not sure if that means it's poisonous or not.

A cannon goes off right next to me, making me jump.

Who knew a cannon could be so loud?

I do the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life, and follow the sound, hoping beyond hope that the person, whoever they are, have found food.

Or, even better, the cornucopia!

I don't stop to think that maybe the person who died was killed by a mutt, or a career with weapons, but walk quickly forward, hoping for supplies.

I guess my curiosity got the best of me.

It is almost nightfall, and I'm pretty thirsty. I'm hungry as well, although that isn't so bad.

I bite my lip as I break into a clearing, and see what looks like Victoria's messy blonde hair sticking up at all odd angles.

She's lying face down in the mud, surrounded by what I think are mockingjays.

I think she's from district eight or nine, and I'm disappointed to see that she has no supplies.

I walk over, and grab her jacket – it might be useful.

Then I realise that it's covered in blood.

I look up, and all I see are mockingjays – hundreds and hundreds of mockingjays, all staring at me with blood red eyes.

Hang on – that's not right.

Mockingjays have yellow eyes, a pretty, sunny, colour. These one's eyes are scary.

Then I realise that the one closest to me – the biggest one – has blood on its beak, too.

Blood jacket, blood eyes, blood beak. It's starting to fit together – I don't think these are mockingjays at all.

As if to confirm my theory, the fat one gives a loud, grating squawk.

I realise that the birds are all looking at me.

I break eye contact first, and look down at Victoria's back. It's covered in scratches and bites.

It's only to be expected, of course. With no weapons, the games will progress slowly.

Of course they made mutts.

I back away slowly, hoping beyond hope that I can get out alive.

I'm starting to think that they won't do anything, because they aren't moving.

No such luck.

I step on a twig, cutting through the silence like a knife – if only I had a knife right now – and the birds tense up.

The fat bird gives another squawk, and, in a flurry of wings and feathers, the birds fly at me.

The fat one reaches me first, and scratches a long, wide gash in my forehead.

I push my hand in front of my face, but they scratch and bite at me, digging so deep into my skin it feels like they will cut bone, and blood runs into my eyes through the cut the fat one scratched in me.

I wander around blindly, stumbling over rocks and stones, when I hit the ground.

I'm covered in birds now, so even if I could see through the blood it would be dark.

I open my eyes just in case, and feel an excruciating pain in my eyes, and the world goes dark. Darker, I should say.

I can't see anything, not even the red of blood that I could see behind my eyes before.

"I can't see, I can't see," I yell, because for some reason I must tell whoever is in the area this. "LEAVE ME ALONE, get away from me...."

I feel a sharp pain in my neck, and the last thing I hear is a familiar squawk, before I go limp.

**District 12, Anna Mellark's POV**

I saw the boy from my district, Red, being attacked by mutts, and it will haunt me forever.

He must've heard Victoria's cannon, like I did, and went to check it out, like I did.

Only, he made himself obvious, walking straight up to her body.

I watched as the mutts attacked him, and a fat one tore out his eyes.

It was horrible.

He started walking around, yelling out that he couldn't see, and I think he went mad by the end of it.

I'm walking away now, trying to erase what I saw from my head, but all I can think of is him staggering around, with empty, bleeding eye sockets, yelling at the birds to leave him alone.


	14. cornucopia

**Heyo! Did ya'll have a good Easter?**

**Sorry this chappy is a bit short, oh well!**

**And, there will be more thx if you review, bribe-bribe! PLZ R&R!!!!!**

**DAY TWO!**

**District 10, Genie Wiskunde's POV**

The dull ache in my throat and the dry patch in my mouth goes ignored as I walk through the forest, following the careers. They think they're so clever, with their little scout, looking for food, and their canary, making sure that the careers don't step on any traps.

I'm so much smarter than all of them, but I'm smart enough to know that if I underestimate them, they will catch me.

Fairy, the scout, has missed all kinds of plants and berries that are edible. Sure, she's smart enough with plants – I mean – she hasn't picked up any nightlock or belladonna, which I have seen a lot of, but she's missing out on mint leaves, blackberries, violets, and all kinds of other things.

The careers are obviously trying to be quiet, but I waited for them once the gong sounded, on the other side of the bridge, and saw them arguing. They may be trying to be quiet, but they seem to be making an effort to step on every twig and stick they see.

I've done a pretty good assessment of them – district one hate each other, but together with the district two girl they are the leaders, though I think the boy gets the final say. The district two boy is an idiot and so is the district four girl.

The one person I don't get is Michael. He's the only one I bothered to learn the name of, and I don't get him. The others are normal careers, if not a bit smarter than last year, but I just don't get Michael.

His partner is easy enough to figure out, just like the rest of them, but Michael's... he is odd.

From watching him, I gather he doesn't like the games, and he looked sickened when the brute from one snapped one girl's neck yesterday, but he's trying to fit in.

It's really bugging me. Why can't I read him?

Maybe I should split up from the careers – they look like they know where they are going, but they are thirsty and hungry, and I know they don't have a clue were the cornucopia is. None of us do.

Plus, district one keeps on getting to close for comfort while she's looking for food.

Quietly, not making a sound, I slip away from them, but not before putting some deadly poisonous belladonna on a violet bush, hoping that district one will pick it up.

***

About five minutes into my walk, I come across a stream.

It's fast flowing, so I know it's alright to drink, and laugh to myself.

The careers were only a few minutes away from a stream, and they were thirsty and crabby while I'm laughing away, drinking happily.

I realise that someone is behind me, and contemplate fading back into the trees.

No – that would ruin my 'I'm terrible at everything' ruse, and someone would know my stealth. Plus, no one could possibly have weapons yet, so I'm fairly safe.

I make a loud splash, seeming like an immature idiot. Judging by the rustling, it's not a career, probably someone young.

I sniff, and turn around.

I see a small boy step out from the trees. Judging from his skin, eyes and hair, I'd say district.... eleven. He looks scared – he probably thinks I'm a career, and I can't blame him for not remembering me.

I bring tears to my eyes – as if I could be scared of a little kid, but oh well – and take a step back. He sees my fear, and looks guilty.

I wonder why? Could he be so stupid that he fell for my act and he thinks I'm afraid of him?

I guess so.

Suddenly, my fake fear turns to terror as I see a huge creature behind him, with anger ablaze in its eyes. The creature is something that not even my smarts could help me with.

Sello, I think the boy's name is, sees my change in expression, and turns.

The wolf lets out a low growl and jumps for his throat.

**District 11, Sello Vaughn's POV**

I'm running through the trees, with who I think is Genie, from ten, at my side. She was the one who hit her head with a sword in training and cries a lot.

Even though she's older than me, I feel sorry for her. People like her, with no training and no hope of winning, don't deserve to be sent t their deaths.

Then again, neither do I.

I saw her splashing around at a stream, happy to find water, when she saw me. She looked so afraid, I felt so damn guilty, seeing the surprise, shock and fear in her eyes.

She just looked at me, doing a deer in headlights look, and then she ran.

Then, I heard a snarl, and here I am.

Running from a wolf.

Thankfully, there is only one, and there is a lot of climbable trees around – I just don't think I could climb a tree fast enough.

Then, I realise Genie isn't at my side. I look around, and realise that she is scurrying up a tree.

I try to follow suit, but fail, just as the wolf grabs the leg of my pants. I fall to the ground with a thud, and give a low moan of pain as the wolf tears into my arm. The world is pain now, and all I can think is, _Make it quicker, make it faster. _Of course, that doesn't happen.

I knew I couldn't outrun a wolf – why did I even try?

**District 4, Cote DePablo's POV**

We trudge along silently, and I, for one, am depressed by what I saw. It was the boy from eleven, I don't know his name. He was being attacked by a huge wolf, and that's why I am depressed.

I was looking forward to killing him.

I could have sworn I saw a flash of shiny red hair to my right, but I must have been imagining it.

We were attracted to the screams, and the wolf ran off when he saw us, and the kid died before we could get to him.

I cursed at this, and everyone looked at me. Michael looked sad, and I guess maybe he wanted to kill the kid? The others looked at me like I was mad, but only Michael looked at me like I was some sort of monster.

The only good thing was we found water nearby. We drank a lot, and Jade suggested we walk by the river. We didn't; Coby was sure there would be more water elsewhere, and Fairy thought there might be more wolves around.

Now we are walking along, and I see a huge stick, and step on it with a satisfying crunch.

It could almost substitute for the boy I wanted to kill's bones.

"Seriously, coat-girl, make some more noise. I'm sure that if anyone has found weapons they'd be happy to take out a few careers," Says Miracle sarcastically.

"What? It's not my fault! There are too many sticks around here anyway! Why don't we walk on that grass over there?" I say defensively, and wonder why they all hate me.

I hate them, and that sickening, gut wrenching feeling in my gut that leaves me nothing to say to them, my mind empty, and my heart full of hate.

Those idiots make me want to puke. I hate them, how they tease me, calling me a coat. It's all my escorts fault, she should know how to pronounce my name, at least.

Nobody answers my remark about walking in the grass, but that was just a passing comment; I wouldn't want to walk in that long, yellow grass either. It's just to the right of me, and it looks like it could be holding snakes or other... creatures.

Suddenly Raff, who is walking at the front of the group, stops. Jade and Miracle bang into them, and Michael manages to stop in time, but Coby bumps into Jade and looks thrilled – he is so smitten.

I bang into Michael. Fairy stops looking for plants when she sees that we stopped.

Miracle gives Raff a jab with his finger, but he doesn't move.

I look out to where Raff is looking and breathe out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Fairy drops the nuts she was holding, and Coby whistles.

We've found it.

The cornucopia.

**District two, Jade Ransel's POV**

I run forward, to the supplies, but Michael and Fairy both speak at once.

"Hold on Jade, share the supplies,"

"Wait up! We had a bet – I won, so I get first dibbs!"

I ignore both of them, and pick up a long, serrated knife.

"What was that?" I throw the knife at Michael, so it hits the tree right next to him, missing his head by about an inch, "I couldn't _quite _hear you,"

Miracle lumbers forward, picking up a spear. "What was that, Jade," He asked, aiming it at me, "Did you want all these supplies to yourself?"

I'm about to answer yes, but someone, maybe Fairy, gets there first.

"Where's the food?"

Just that one sentence, one sentence, sends me reeling. No food.

I quickly gather up the food that Fairy dropped, as the others search.

"I found some beef, and a bit of fish, I think!" Raff calls.

"There is some water over here, and a few crackers!" I don't see who said that, but that means something, and I think I know what.

"Hold it!" I say, so loudly, that everyone looks at me, "Look." I point to a place where the sand looks a bit beaten up, and there is half of a tiny footprint in the dirt.

"Someone's already here."

**Love it? Hate it? REVIEW!!! PLZPLZPLZPLZPLZPLZPLZ!**

**Review, and I will fax you a cookie! ;)**


	15. Devil's Bane

**Sorry, my fax machine is broken, so here are all your cookies: (::) (::) (::), actually, as I'm writing this, I am eating a cookie. THX FOR REVIEWING!**

**May I suggest you read Penelope Wendy Bing's FABULOUS Fan-fiction, Starvation 1!!!**

**Random.**

**Sorry this took so long to update. Don't look at me like that, at least I updated eventually. I had writers block. A huge, gigantic block, that was bigger than any piece of mind-blowing lego I've ever seen.**

"_Rakes, my old arch nemesis." _

"_Hey, I thought I was your old arch nemesis?"_

"_I do have a life outside you, Bart," – Sideshow Bob and Bart._

**Disclaimer – Nope, not Suzanne Collins, I wasn't when I started this fanfic, what makes you think that I am now?**

**District five, Elise Clairvall's POV**

I shudder, terrified. The careers have found the cornucopia.

I'm so glad that Jonathon had the idea of taking all the food and hiding it, so that when the others came, there would be nothing for them to eat. He's an excellent strategizer, and now I'm thankful that the food is hidden.

It's a pity we couldn't hide everything, and leave just an empty shell, and take all the weapons as well, but it's better to make the careers believe that the game makers didn't give us any food.

Of course, we missed out on some of the food, like, I saw one career with some biscuits and such, but that won't last long.

Neither will I – One of the careers, I don't know what district she is from, has spotted my boot print.

Now it is only a matter of time before I'm found, because, you see, I'm hiding inside the cornucopia. I gulp, and get a grip on the handle of my knife. It's a short little blade, with a steel handle and no serrations. Probably used for cutting soft stuff, like butter, cheese or skin.

Ugh, I gross myself out sometimes.

I hold my breath, and lie down, covering myself with a sheet.

Eventually, I breathe out, and even that tiny little sound is as loud as if a million people were all screaming at the same time. My sides heave, and it seems like I'm moving a lot, so much that anyone could see me, just from that one breath. I might as well jump up and wave my arms around crazily, because in my mind just that one little movement seems to be alerting everyone to my presence.

So, when I hear the sound, I'm ready to throw my knife at anyone who comes near. The sound – well, it's more of a yell really.

It's John.

I'm about to climb out, brandishing my pathetic knife, and help my older brother, when I realise that he's creating a distraction for me.

At least, I hope he's just creating a distraction for me.

With all the careers turned around, I think, (I can't see them form here), I make a dash to the forest edge, instead of running to where my brothers' voice is coming from.

Too late.

A career, a boy, grabs me by the waist as I make a break for it.

"Hey guys! It's the kids from six!" He calls, and I see that John wasn't making a distraction, he was yelling because he got caught, too.

I bite my lip to stop myself correcting him, and telling him we're from district five. What does it matter which district they think we're from?

"Are you sure?" The boy from district one holding John inspects us closely. He's well built and quite huge, "Aw, what does it matter what district there from anyway?" He says, voicing my own thoughts.

He stops staring at us and picks up a huge, ugly, spear, pushing John to the ground.

"NO!" In some insane burst of strength (maybe it wasn't strength... more just... the element of surprise, I guess. Maybe the career wasn't expecting me to fight back.) I manage to wrench free of the kid holding me, and yank out my knife, desperate to save my brother. I drive my knife deep into his chest, and yank it out. It's covered in blood. His cannon sounds. It rings again and again in my ears.

Who knew a cannon could be so loud?

I killed someone. I'm a murderer

_Murderer._

In horror and disgust, I'm about to drop the knife, but instead, I do something a little more productive – I throw it, straight at Miracle, the career who is aiming the spear at Johns' heart.

He manages to move, but it still hits him in the shoulder. He yanks it out, and drops it, and pushes the spear into my brother's chest. So that was all for nothing.

I might as well have thrown the knife straight into his heart myself, for all the good it did. But still no cannon – that means John's still alive. I grab another knife of the ground, and throw it at him again. This time, with the wound in his shoulder, he is a little slower to react.

Instead of dodging though, he grabs the tribute next to him, a huge girl with black, lank hair, and hauls her in front of him.

She gives one scream, as the knife hits her in the throat and then her cannon sounds.

I run, and somehow John manages to get up and follow me, with the careers to slow to react. As we disappear into the forest, I hear a girl say to leave us.

I wonder why. Oh well, that's fine by me. A knife whizzes by head anyway, but it buries itself into a tree and I wrench it out. Now at least I have a weapon. Crashing through the forest, we make for the cave, not caring what amount of noise we make.

With each heart beat, I hear the same word over and over again.

Murderer.

Murderer.

Murderer.

Murderer.

_Murderer!_

Once we are a safe distance into the woods, in a cave where all the food is, we rest.

Murderer.

John's got a terrible knife wound in his chest, and it's bleeding heavily. I don't... I don't think he'll make it. I take one look at him, and start to cry noiselessly.

Murderer.

He closes his eyes, and I can hear his ragged breathing in the sudden silence.

"Good job Elly, if you'd had that good aim in the training centre maybe we wouldn't have gotten such crap scores," He whispers, and I can see the pain on his face. He's a goner, and I can't bear it.

Murderer.

"Don't die, please don't die," I murmur. "You can survive this... maybe... if we have any sponsors?" I look into the sky hopefully, but no little silver parachute comes down. Even if it did I doubt any amount of medicine could save him now.

Murderer

I can't believe it though... I just killed a career, stabbed a second one in the shoulder, and we have _no _sponsors?

Murderer.

I just killed a career.

Murderer.

"Elise, I volunteered into these games knowing I would die." His voice breaks. "I volunteered to give you a chance to survive." I'm bent over his bloody body. I feel like yelling, shouting and screaming, I feel like hunting those careers down, but I can't move, and I can't speak.

Murderer.

His eyes flutter open. "Elly, promise me, promise me you'll win."

I nod, desperately, and maybe, just maybe, if I win, the fancy capitol doctors can revive him, bring him back. But then, if I win, then I'll have to kill at least one more person.

Murderer.

"Thanks Elly, I love you," He looks like he is about to say more, but, just like that he dies.

Just like that. Dead and gone.

Dead.

Murderer.

No more ragged breathing, no more words.

Just a cannon, loud and clear, and my brother dies to protect me, his eyes wide and staring, blood covering his body. Why him? Why did the careers have to kill him? He never did anything to them.

And yet, I still can't move, paralysed by the thought of being here, in the games, without my brother. He died for me, and that meant he cared more about me than his own life. Why?

I'm just a murderer.

Suddenly, I'm able to move, as if the invisible chains that were keeping me still were released, and I fall to the floor, crying.

Murderer.

I killed a teenager. I don't even know the name of the boy I killed, or his age, or his district, or what his family was like.

Murderer.

I don't know about the girl either, I mean, I guess it was district one that pushed in front of the knife, but I threw it right?

Murderer.

What have the capitol done to us?

_Murderer._

**District one, Miracle Benesis's POV**

Ouch!

God, that kid from six is going to pay!

I guess she has payed already, because I heard a cannon just now, and I'm pretty sure it was her brothers' – I mean, nobody could survive a wound in the chest like that for more than a few minutes.

We walk away from the bodies, and the hovercraft takes them away. Cote first, which is good, because even though she's stopped bleeding from her neck, left over blood is still falling to the ground.

I didn't like her anyway, and it's a good thing she was there to stop that freaky kid sticking me with her knife.

Then Coby got taken away.

I guess it's a good thing that they're dead, because if he could'nt survive an attack from a fourteen year old, untrained, underfed little girl, he wasn't a good career tribute.

Cote I'm glad is gone because she was just plain annoying. Not as annoying as Fairy, but pretty annoying.

My shoulder is bleeding, but not much, and it won't at all soon, because I just yelled at Raff to get me some bandages, and some iodine.

Fairy and Jade are sitting in the cornucopia, arguing, probably about food, and Raff is just standing there, looking for the medical supplies.

I flex my arm, and wince. God, it hurts – it tore right through my muscle and skin, and I think it might have nicked my bone.

I look at the iodine doubtfully. I only got it because I've heard it's good for wounds. I hope. I sigh, and put the bottle down.

"Oh, you wuss, come on, I'll do it," Fairy snaps. Is there anything she can't do?

"I was putting it down to rip off my shirt sleeve," I lie "I'm not a wuss, I'm just doing it properly," I hate Fairy – she's such a bitch.

Fairy rolls her eyes but, wisely, doesn't say anything. At least, not to me. She says something to Jade, and I'm struck by how similar they look. Jade laughs, and Fairy comes back over, wish some water.

She washes my cut, something I would never think to do, and puts some iodine on. At first, I don't feel anything, and wonder why she's looking at me funny. I also wonder why she's helping me – I thought she hated me as much as I hated her.

That bliss of painlessness lasts for about a millisecond, before the pain sets in.

I've been in a lot of pain in my life, whether it's from being beaten in the training centre (only happened once) or something stupid, like just getting into fights at school (that happened a _lot_ more than once).

The iodine stings so bad, I think if it was between this and being stung by a trackerjacker, or being tortured to death by President Malice (his real names president Malak, but Malice suits him better. Plus, it's a common district one nickname for him that's been around about as long as he has) I would so choose trackerjackers and torture!

But then, I never have dealt with pain well

I bite my lip to stop from screaming, and use up all my willpower not to kick Fairy into next week.

Huh. There's a thought. That might actually be fun.

She sees my look of pain through my eyes, and the confused look is replaced by a smile! I would tell her to F off, but if I opened my mouth I'm pretty sure all that would come out is a scream.

Stupid Fairy.

I used to think she was cute, but 'cute' suits her just as much as 'cute' suits a cactus.

Prickly, irritating and in-the-way is more like it.

I'm lost in my thoughts to such an extent, that I don't notice when Fairy slaps me.

"Wake up, Oh Wondrous Pansy, I've got better things to do than look after you all day – we've got to find some food."

I glare at her, a world class glare that would stop most people mid-sentence, but she must be used to it by now because she just smirks at me.

It doesn't hurt so much anymore, but I still don't say anything.

I watch as she gets up and walks away, probably to look for some stupid edible plants.

God, I hate her.

**District 12, Anna Mellark's POV (this is set just before Elise and Jonathon get caught. Just a heads up)**

Gosh, it's not as freezing as I thought it would be.

After I saw my district partner die, I made my way out of the forest. Why?

Simple.

I have no weapons, no supplies, no food, no nothing. What would I do if I came across homicidal freaking birds?

So, yesterday, I made my way out onto the ice, and, even now, although it is sunset, it's really not that cold.

The ice goes on for miles, and I can see everything.

Upside – no one can sneak up on me.

Downside – I can't sneak up on anyone.

Although, I don't think anyone else is out here, on the ice. If they are then they must be extremely good at camouflage. I look down at the pine I'm holding, and silently thank my mum for showing me all kinds of edible plants.

Although, looking at the pine now, I realise that some of the pieces, the ones I got from a different tree, have little red streaks on them.

I drop them immediately.

I don't recognise this plant, but usually, in nature, red means danger – on insects, on the mockingjays eyes, on plants. On _trees_

I don't want to eat something that, in its own way, is screaming at me '_don't eat me! I'm poisonous!' _I imagine a little mouth on the stick of pine, yelling at me, and giggle. I keep walking, away from the pine – or whatever it is.

I stop giggling immediately – I'm pretty sure I haven't eaten any of it... but what if I have? I don't _think _I have... but.... oh, oh well. If I have then there is nothing I can do.

I mean, who knows, it could be a perfectly healthy, normal source of food. But then, it could be dead poisonous, and kill me before it hits my stomach. Like nightlock.

Dad told me that story, like, a billion times, mostly right before mum took me into the woods for weapons practice.

The story he tells me is fairly long, so to cut a long story short, he though nightlock plants were blackberries, collected them and someone stole from their supplies, and they died eating them.

I think he nicknamed the person that died 'foxface'. It seems like an odd nickname, I guess.

Anyway... Wow, my minds really wandering, just like I am.

Wandering the ice-plains like some explorer. Hey that was in a book of mine, I can't remember what it's called. It's about someone wandering around the ice, and in the end they die.

It's a sad book. Just like it's sad that I'm here. I'm so sad. I wish I wasn't here.

Wait – what was I talking about? Oh yeah, books. That book – It's one of the only books we own – sure, we're rich enough, but there aren't very many books in district twelve, because most people are too busy making money to write. We mostly get our books from Madge Hawthorne, mum's best friend, or the capitol.

Whoa. What's with that – the whole ice just did a 180, and now I'm walking on the roof of the world...walking on sunshine... that's a really old song, it's, like, from the 1980's, like hundreds of years ago. I only know it because my mum said she heard it in a music museum when she went to the capitol.

The capitols a really, really bad place, it's like – whoa! The ice just did another 180 and now I'm walking on the ground again.

That's good, I like the ground... it's so warm and soft, unless it's winter.

Hey – it must be winter suddenly, because I'm walking on ice.

I frown.

I don't like ice. Why am I on the ice?

I think I want to go... but I'm walking in a straight line... that's good, actually, if I'm walking straight I'll get to the edge of the snow!

My thoughts are going crazy, maybe I did eat some of that... I like to eat dad's cakes... dad told me this story once.... poisonous plants... foxy face...

Snap out of it!

_Okay_ that was weird. I think I'm going loopy, I can't keep a straight thought going. Hah! There I just did! Okay, next step, find food.

Foods important.

Foods a priority. Hang on... I'm getting dizzy.

But I have to find food... Maybe... food... important... up ahead.

_BOOM_

Loud noise! Run! Got to hide, run from the... noise? What was it... cannon.... run... food.... got to go now...

**I am sorry to say that Anna Mellark can no longer give you her side of the story, as she has eaten the Devil's Bane poisonous tree, which turns your mind into an animal's, with only her barest animal instincts, so I will be writing Anna's POV from third person, as she is no longer able to put whole thoughts together,**

**I apologise for any inconveniences. **

Anna started to walk faster, trying to get away from the loud noise, when another cannon sounded. She ran, faster than before, but still not very fast.

Anna was uncomfortable on her hind legs, and, a few minutes later, when a third cannon sounded, she was so bewildered, she fell to the ground. Anna started to crawl along, picking up more speed than she had had when she was running.

She was much more comfortable on four legs.

**I have put who is dead, and their district number, to avoid confusion. To the right of the deceased's name is their killer.**

**DECEASED:**

District one;

District two; Coby Ribster. Killer – Elise Clairvall

District three;

District four; Cote Perrete. Killer – Elise Clairvall, with Miracle Benises.

District five; Jonathon Clairvall. Killer – Miracle Benises.

District six; Marionette Winsome. Killer – Miracle Benises.

District seven;

District eight;

District nine; Victoria Ellis. Killer – Muttation Mocking Jays.

District eleven; Sello Vaughn. Killer – Wolf

District twelve; Robert 'Red' Leerman. Killer – Muttation Mocking Jays


	16. Gorgeous!

**DAY FOUR PEOPLE! Let's get this show on the road! **

**Sorry I haven't updated in, like two weeks, but these Games are hard to write, and I'm getting stuck frequently. SORRY!**

**(Message for Krystal: HI KRYSTAL!!! You should make an account so we can talk, because I don't have facebook anymore!)**

**P.S. I have decided to make it so Catching Fire did happen, with the arena and all, but, no rebellion. And, I changed it just a little, I'm just saying.**

**I'm still not S. Collins. I'm sure you are all terribly upset, but please, don't be depressed. If you are depressed then you won't review. ;)**

**District 7, Bower Rivil's POV**

I grit my teeth in frustration. It's been four days, and I haven't seen anyone. I know from the faces at night that so far, seven people have died. I have no idea how any of them died, but it can't be a coincidence that two careers died yesterday.

It's been a boring morning. In fact, it's been a boring four days. I wouldn't mind it, if I was back home in district seven, but out here it's not only boring, but suspenseful. Nothing has happened, except I have found a stream.

I'm not sure if it's safe to drink without iodine, but I don't have any iodine, do I? Even if I did I have no idea how many drops to put in, so I would probably poison myself. That would be ironic.

I have been walking along the river for days now, no sounds, except birds, and no movement, except me. I wonder if the gamemakers have something special in store for me.

Actually, something _has_ happened that is vaguely interesting. The forest has changed from a forest to a sort of swampy thing, with lots of green squishy stuff everywhere. Not just moss, but _everything_ is squishy. The trees, the bushes, the ground, _everything!_

I may not be thirsty, at least, but I am so hungry. No meat has crossed my path, you know, like, a nice, huge, fat squirrel or something. Even if that did happen, I don't have any weapons. And, I don't trust myself to eat any new berries. So far I've just been eating pine, which, like everything else, is spongy and soft.

I sigh, as I see yet another tree. Trees, trees, trees. Stupid, god-forsaken trees. I've grown up around trees all my life. Planted them, climbed them, cut them down. They are boring. All exactly the same.

And you know what – this arena is full of them. You would have thought that the gamemakers would come up with something different, but it's a forest, which they do almost every year, and some ice, which they have done before.

At least, on the last quarter quell, they had an original clock shaped thing, and the quarter quell was at least interesting, with all the victors going in, and two people allowed to survive. Though, two people were allowed to survive on the 74th and the 75th games. Both of those years the 'star crossed lovers' won.

I think the little girl from district twelve is their daughter. What an unlucky family.

I'm walking, and maybe because I'm lost in these thoughts, that gives me an excuse for not noticing.

I _finally_ notice that, gradually, the muddy, springy grass is turning into soft sand. Sand! Maybe it is more original than I thought it was – a little mix of all the arenas so far, maybe?

Probably. Probably the gamemakers couldn't think of anything unusual and exciting, so they mixed it up.

Hey... I've got an idea... maybe nobody has found the cornucopia yet. And judging by the miles upon miles of desert, with a huge mountain in distance, maybe, just maybe, the cornucopias, or at least one of them, is buried.

Why not? I have an infinite source of water and an infinite source of food, so why not? I get down on my knees and start to dig.

**District three, Rosemary Grey's POV**

"Where are we going?"

"I dunno,"

"Why not?"

"Because this is the Hunger Games, Mickey, they don't exactly give us a map, do they?"

He is silent. Instantly I feel nasty – I mean, I'm not 'little miss perfect', but he looks exactly like my little brother, Alex, even if Mickey is a few years older. That's why I agreed to be allied with him, I guess.

I mean, it wasn't something we planned, but as I broke out onto a beach, I saw him there. I was about to go back into the trees, 'cos, you know, I'm not about to kill my district partner, but he saw me. So we became allies. Just like that.

That was two days ago, I think. He wasn't doing so well then, and we was trying to drink from the sea. I don't think he realised that the salt water was, well, _salty_.

He did when he took the first sip.

That's understandable, I guess, because there is no ocean in district three. Plus, it turns out he is a real help, because he is terrific with plants. I'm not.

Mickey tried to show me some edible plants, but I failed, because it turns out ever berry that _I _thought was edible turns out to be poisonous. He told me that, instead of blackberries, which I thought I was picking, it was some plant called Nightlock.

I've never heard of it, but it's a scary name.

But then, almost all poisonous plants have scary names, as I have learnt from Mickey.

I'm better with weapons and fighting and stealth and such, so, together we're sorted.

"Right, this is a good camp for tonight," I say, indicating to a small but sheltered cave, made up by numerous small rocks.

I suppose that I should be looking out for tributes, seeing as we are mostly in plain sight, being on the jungle edge, but hey, nobody else has weapons, (I hope), and we have a sharpened tree branch, which we have been using to get meat.

"It's not even close to night yet, why are we making camp? Shouldn't we keep going?"

Mickey does raise a good point, but well, it's either this or we sleep in a tree.

"Mickey," I say, voicing my thoughts, "I haven't seen any other caves, so, unless you want to sleep in a tree..." I trail off, but I know I have said enough; Mickey couldn't climb a tree to save his life, let alone sleep in one.

So far we haven't heard from anyone, and except for the rabbits and other little furry... things... nothing has happened.

At all.

I mean, there is a lot of meat around, but we can only carry so mu-

"Weuaaah!!"

I ignore Mickey as he makes a noise somewhere in between a scream and a sound of disgust. He's been doing it ever since we started coming across the little creatures that look a bit like a cat, and a bit like a guinea pig, which was about two hours ago, when the forest started to become more of a jungle.

I don't think he's ever had to catch his dinner before in his life! His family probably work in the electronics, or in the video games factory, which is where the richest of the rich work.

Mickey runs to catch up with me, and I have to move uncomfortably close to the open plains, which happens to be a pit of bubbling, muddy sand, which looks boiling.

"Sorry, it's just those guinea pig things are gross. Can I have a turn holding the stick – they seem to like me and I want to try and get one for lunch,"

Only a rich kid would have lunch – probably every day, too. I hand him the stick, glad to be rid of it – it's covered in the cat/guinea pig's blood – we have already killed almost more than we can carry.

"Sure, but you're holding the guinea-pig-cat thing when it's dead," I hand him the stick, and he falls behind me again.

"I think we need a name for them... Kaineyig, maybe," declares Mickey. I roll my eyes.

"Kaineyig? How about something easy to remember, like, thing-we-will-eat-tonight. How's that?" I say sarcastically.

I can't see him, but I know he's making a face. He's creative, though, I'll give him that.

"Compromise, how about cat-thing?"

I nod. Mainly because I'm bored now – what does it matter what the creature is called? It's edible, that's the main thing.

**District 8, Pauley DePablo's POV**

I wake up feeling like somebody is playing the drums inside my head. I'm thirsty, I'm hungry and I'm nauseous. And my head is pounding. The hunger and thirst and head pounding I understand as symptoms of dehydration and thirst, and I have no clue what the nauseousness is from.

Oh, right. My baby.

My vision comes in and out, making it hard to see, and there is a bright light shining in my eyes. The sun.

Gosh!

It's already early afternoon, judging by the place of the sun, perhaps one p.m.? I don't know, but I sure slept in!

I dunk my head in the stream that I collapsed next to last night, and drink greedily. I was walking for ages yesterday, which is hard, because back then, I had had no water for three days and no food.

I was exhausted when I found the small creek, which is a muddy, dirty brown colour, and I collapsed next to it.

Now, because yesterday, I found water, (which is very dirty, but oh, well), l and now I need food. There are lots of berries, nuts and vines in the marshlands that I am in, which I came across after leaving jungle outside the forest.

There are some berries in the bush next to me, and I pick one up.

I place the small red berry in the palm of my hand.

It looks poisonous, maybe, but I'm not positive, it could be a cherry – what with my vision, it could be anything.

I consider eating it, using it as some sort of sign – if I die, then it's me, and my baby's time to go. If I don't, then I give the Hunger Games my all. I don't even care which one it is right now.

I raise the berry to my lips, and open up. This is the decider – I can do this!

No, I can't. I spit the berry out of my mouth before I have even broken the skin, and stomp on it with my fo-

The berry literally explodes, blowing me against a nearby tree. Definitely not a cherry, but unquestionably not natural, either. Obviously something from the capitol.

The berry that exploded is still exploding, and I vaguely wonder why.

I shield my face with my arms, my sluggish senses struggling with this new development. I cry out, as a burning piece of berry hits me in the face, and my vivid red hair catches fire, burning like a fuse to my head.

It's a good thing my hair is long, so, flailing, I manage to put it out.

I look up, and regret it. The world is burning, all around me. It's so intense, I immediately close my eyes, but not before something in my brain clicks.

The berries. They are explosive, and they are so close the are all alight, burning around me.

But that's not the only thing – the fire is not just around me, it's _on_ me!

I'm burning.

I shriek, and run out of the little clearing I was in, my body alight.

I cry out, realising my stupitidy, and run back, jumping into the creek, immersing my whole body in the creek.The fire is out, but I have burns all over my whole body, especially my scalp and stomach.

My stomach!

My hands fly to my abdomen, my hands cutting through, through the water, and I wonder if the baby is still alive. If it isn't, then I – I – I don't know what I can do.

I can't think about that now. I have to get my head out of this bank – I'm suffocating.

I push my head up over the water, gasping for air, but I don't register it. The exploding has stopped, for now, but the jungle is on fire. I will splash up to the shore, still keeping the trees at least four metres away from me, and sit down.

I can't really swim, no one in district eight can, but I can basically tread water, and do a messy dog paddle. So I do. It's slow, and energy consuming, and hard to do, especially in my pregnant state, being heavier and all, and having had no food for days, but I can manage it.

I drag myself up to the bank, and lean against a rock.

The fire blazes quite close to the water, and it is uncomfortably hot – the fire is broiling me. I register this, but I don't care.

I hurt too much to move out of the water, and my face is burning anyway, because it is the only place that is out of the water.I suppose I'll just have to sit it out until the fire burns itself out.

Exploding berries – what next?

**District 10, Genie Wiskunde's POV**

I smell the smoke in the air, and see a long, black trail of smoke in the sky, ages away, in an unknown area of the woods, to the left of the bubbling pit besides me.

Something is on fire.

Oh well.

I creep up behind the boy, and grab one of the dead creatures right off his back. I have watched them for a while, Rosemary and Mickey, from district three, and I have been stealing from them for _ages_.

Mostly from Rosemary, because she had about ten of the dead animals on her back, and she was walking behind Mickey for a bit. Once they swapped places, I stole from Mickey.

I have stolen three so far, and plan to stop following them soon. I don't really want to, because if they wake up at night (because one of them keeps guard), I will too, and I can steal their food.

It's simple really, because they carry them all on their shoulders, and they are all piled up so they don't even feel it when I take one.

I move silently behind them, behind trees, in a stream (to cover my tracks, of course. The stream only goes up to my knees, and I can glide through it easily.) with my vibrant red hair camouflaged with mud and leaves. My pale skin is covered in the stuff, as well.

I feel gross, because I have a bath every day back home, and am always clean. I like things being clean and tidy, with no room for error – right now I just feel like a mistake.

I need to wash it off. Now.

I'm not a compulsive perfectionist, but I like to be clean, and I have had the camo on since the early morning and it has dried to a thick crust covering every inch off me except my eyes and my knees down.

I stop, and turn around. The two I were following have no idea, so I sit down in the stream, making only a small ripple in the crystal clear water.

It's not so 'crystal clear' anymore, and I watch curiously as the dried mud flecks out into the water. I sit very still until I can no longer hear district three's footsteps, and dip my hair into the water, making it almost clean. My clothes are still caked in mud, but I don't care, it's good enough.

I stand up, my clothes dripping into the stream with a splash. It's okay though, because I'm sure no one is nearby now. I would hear them. I step out onto the dry dirt, my boots making a disgusting squelch.

I take them off, and my socks too and just walk barefoot, again making no sound, like I usually am. Much better.

I suddenly realise, that, as I walk away from the stream, the arena is changing. There is fruit on the trees now, and the trees themselves are shorter, and much richer in colour. The grass is greener, and softer, and the sky almost seems bluer, if that's possible.

Gorgeous flowers grow in small clumps in bushes, and one the ground, and in such vivid colours that it is amazing.

The smell is so rich, and so sweet that I can't help but inhale eagerly.

It is so breathe takingly beautiful, that I am sure it is the most stunning thing I have ever seen.

Ever,

I am immediately on guard. This is too special, too wonderful, that is has to be a deathtrap. It can't be natural, and even the most striking, eye-catching things are deadly.

The fruit is probably poisonous, and maybe the flowers too.

I wonder if I should leave – maybe if I don't eat anything, then I will be alright.

No, it's too big a risk. I need to get out. Now.

I am just about to turn around, when I see something amazing.

Through the thickest patch of shoulder level, vivid flowers, rich, plump, vibrant fruits, and fat, golden furred bunnies, ferreting away in the background, is the golden cornucopia.

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